Fight or Flight
by GeneticallyEnhanced1
Summary: Complete with two endings! Max starts to wonder if her life will ever be the same as she deals with antitransgenic groups and a new emerging Manticore. Who will she turn to in her hour of need? YOU DECIDE! Choose your own ship!
1. Chapter 1

Title: Fight or Flight

Author's Note: This story is a bit different from the other stories: mostly because it involves romance! It's a little hard to write; having never felt the anguish and misery of L O V E but I'll do my darndest not to make it too sappy or unbelievable. (The M is only for slight innuendo).

Also, I'm sorry for the delay. My computer crashed and I had to recover my hard drive! Man was I relieved though, this thing took forever to finish. So long in fact that I was so hankering to write that I started _another_ fic! Aaaaah! But this one is dying to get out of my head… the other is just starting to poke in. It wants out! Out I say! So without further ado…

It was six months since the residents of Terminal City were finally freed and Seattle was a different place. Discrimination against transgenics was strictly prohibited, although it did occur. Since they were revealed as heroes of the world however, being a transgenic was much less of a stigma. In fact, those of the superior genetic persuasion now had something of a special mystique. Barcode tattoos were suddenly the hottest trend. Cheap T-shirts also sprang up declaring pro-transgenic slogans: such as "My sister was an X5" and "Genetically Superior." Much to Joshua's relief, his mug shot was now imprinted on a T-shirt that read "Free Transgenics."

The endorsements rolling in via merchandising and advertisements helped the former and current members of Terminal City. They were able to re-build Terminal City to their liking: opening up new complexes and housing developments and even little shops and restaurants. While Alec pissed away much of his new earnings on strip clubs and women, Max mostly hoarded hers 'for a rainy day' with a few exceptions. She earmarked some to Logan: helping him repair his Eyes Only network and move back into his old apartment; complete with a new security system and, of course, using some to upgrade her motorcycle.

As for the transgenics themselves; some quite enjoyed the limelight, others felt suddenly exposed and uncomfortable. Max, for example, felt quite uncomfortable after being declared the 'savior of the world.' After hiding for over a decade, it felt strange to have her face everywhere. She did finally cut her hair short enough to show her barcode and, at Logan and Alec's urging, she had agreed to a few talk show circuits. Alec joked that she seemed more like a 'deer in the headlights' than a super soldier. He quite enjoyed being the center of attention. He was quite a character on the talk shows and had even been asked back already. In addition, he found that his transgenic status made him something of a sex symbol with the ladies.

Things did not go quite as smoothly for Joshua. Although transgenics were the heroes of the hour, it was still obvious that the X series were much more welcomed than the transhumans. His enthusiasm for visiting Max at Crash and at her place of work quickly vanished when he noted who people still saw him. Max urged him that it would get better but, being a rather shy person to begin with, it was a lot for him to handle. He spent much of his time at his new Terminal City residence with Sandeman, who had become something of a sage and confidant to him. She did help assuage his fears by becoming the official spokeswoman for the Transgenic Movement and updating him on the most recent legislation and public opinion polls.

While Max realized how important it was to 'play the part' of an eager lobbyist and politician, she felt it was a dirty game and she never looked forward to it. She had somehow convinced Alec to also don a suit and join her for the biweekly meetings. But though Alec enjoyed talk shows and television appearances, the political meetings reminded him a bit too much of his old Manticore assignments where he had to dress up and play a part. Max never admitted to Alec, she thought his presence was a comfort as she presented herself to the sleazy lawmakers of a still broken world. The two still maintained a presence at Jam Pony. Max claimed it 'kept them real,' but she often regretted her return to work….

"Hot run 17 Clemson!" Normal shouted, waving a package at Sketchy. Sketchy whipped up his hands in defiance.

"No way man, they still got all them gang wars there," he protested. His roving eyes spied Alec standing nearby. He flung his arm around the X5's shoulder and smirked. "Besides, why send an ordinary to do a transgenic's job?"

"That's an excellent idea," Normal agreed. "Max! Get the firetruck over here!"

Max sauntered over to the desk and swiped the package from Normal. She twirled the small box on her finger and shouted back to Alec.

"Hey, Alec! Up for some Escape and Evade?" Alec smirked and walked up to her.

"You got it," he retorted and mounted his bicycle. "Ten bucks says I can beat you there."

"Oh, it's on," she agreed, climbing onto her bike and pedaling swiftly. Normal shook his head as the two raced out of the building, narrowing missing another eager delivery boy.

Fifteen minutes later, Max swerved her bike to a halt as she reached the sector checkpoint… seconds before Alec pulled up beside her. She smiled triumphantly as she flashed her Jam Pony identification card to the sector policeman. Alec scowled and then followed in suit. Upon entering Clemson Street however, Max quickly gauged the reason that Sketchy was so eager to avoid the area. The streets were littered with garbage, dilapidated buildings, and the only people visible were the most dangerous, dregs of society. Alec jumped back a little as he heard the sound of gunshots behind him.

"So where is this place?" he muttered, feeling a bit nervous.

"Just up the street. Apt. 17," she said, nodding a bit in the direction and tucking the package under her arm. She walked briskly in the direction of the run, feeling pretty confident in the fact that the violent fights of the street did not concern her, until a bottle smashed an inch away from her face. Max whipped around to see a small band of men holding up cardboard signs that read 'NO MORE TRANGENICS' and 'DON'T LET THEM STEAL YOUR JOBS.' She turned heel and approached the band angrily.

"You wanna try that again?" she growled at the men.

"Woah, woah, woah, Max… calm down," Alec intervened, putting a hand on her shoulder and stepping forward. "C'mon pal, we're just trying to make a living, same as you."

"I'll show you, pal!" one man spat and raced toward Alec with a bat. Max saw him coming first and swept her foot under him. The man landed on the ground with a thud. Alec then took over and began fighting off the man himself. Max turned her attention to another attack, kicking the weapon from his eager hands. She came at him with a barrage of kicks, while the stunned man stood, unable to fight the blows.

Meanwhile, Alec gave his opponent a well placed blow to the jaw, knocking him unconscious, and then turned to Max. His eyes widened as he saw a third man point the nozzle of his gun toward Max's back. Springing into action, he grabbed the man's wrist, making the gun fire off directly behind her. She whipped back, surprised at being caught off guard. In a few more moments she brought down the first man and elbowing her would-be killer in the face. Alec and Max stood above their unconscious foes in triumph, barely having worked up a sweat at all.

"Well, that was fun," Alec quipped, examining the slight rip in his jacket.

"Yea, a personal best I'm sure," she returned, gazing at the two burly reprobates. Alec nodded and snatched his bike, eager to finish the run. Before he could take off, Max put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey… thanks for saving my ass."

Alec smiled slightly. "Guess it was my turn," he shrugged and took off down the street. Max mounted her bike and pedaled behind Alec. Her mind began to race as she reeled back their brief conversation: 'my turn.' _Quid pro quo. _It all felt a bit too familiar for her taste. She pedaled faster, over taking Alec, and they completed the run without exchanging another word to each other.

Hours later, Max, Alec, Original Cindy, Sketchy, and Joshua were bunched into a small table at Crash. Joshua's eyes darted back and forth as he rubbed his beer glass anxiously with his thumbs. His long mane of hair partially covered his deformed face. Max thumped a pitcher of beer on the middle of the table while Alec, Original Cindy, and Sketchy were deeply engrossed in their conversation.

"What's everyone talkin' about?" Max asked, raising her brow curiously.

Sketchy pulled up a freshly printed copy of New World Weekly and tapped the cover. It depicted a band of flying saucers beaming their lights above the Seattle skyline. In large bubbly print it read "Did Transgenics Save Us, or Was it Zenix5?" Max guffawed and sat down.

"People don't really buy that crap do they?"

Sketchy scowled, a little offended by Max's offhanded shot at his magazine. "People believe a lot of things Max." He leaned backwards in his chair and began to flick through the pages. "Some of the Press even believes the whole comet thing was just a hoax."

Max scoffed at his words. "Tell that to the hundreds of children and the elderly who died suddenly of an unknown poison."

"Or the thousand people that lived on remote islands the antibody never reached in time," Alec chimed in. The two transgenics shook their hands at the tragedy and started downing their beers.

"So people even say transgenics brought about the apocalypse by their whole existence," Sketchy added, gesticulating wildly and wobbling from intoxication.

Original Cindy rolled her eyes and snatched the paper from Sketchy's hands. "Boo, you need to sober up and stop yo' fool ramblings." She turned her attention to Joshua. "You need to come out of your shell Doggy dog. Ya' oughta show off that handsome face."

Joshua smiled and pulled a strand of hair away from his face at Original Cindy's encouragement. Alec slid over and put an arm on Josh's back. "Hey c'mon Joshy, how about a toast?" At these words Alec raised his glass into the air. "To our new life!"

The five of them raised their beer glasses in the air together and started to clink them together. As they celebrated, a pair of greasy teenagers took note of group. One teenager leaned on the shoulder of the other one. His legs were crossed awkwardly and it was clear that he was using his friend for support. He pointed to Joshua and whispered loudly, "Hey isn't he that dog boy from the news?" Max, Alec, and Joshua had picked up on their hushed voices with their keener hearing and shared annoyed glances. Original Cindy caught on to what was happening and leaned over to Joshua.

"Just ignore them Boo. They're not even worth your time."

Unfortunately, the other teen ambled forward and put his hand on Joshua's shoulder. With his free hand, he pulled back Joshua's long locks and studied his countenance. Joshua remained still, his eyes large with fright. Then the teen loosened his grip on Joshua and began to giggle manically. He motioned for his friend to come over. "Hey dude, you're right! It's the dogboy! Wicked!"

His friend snorted with laughter and joined his friend to gawk at Joshua. "Oh hey… he's like a dog!" He thumped Joshua's chest with the back of his hand. "Hey, hey dude," he addressed him. "Ya ever hear this one? Who let the dogs out? Woof! Woof! Woof! Woof!" He whirled his hand in the air at his joke and laughed even harder. Max and Alec couldn't take anymore. They stood to face the inebriated adolescents with restrained anger written all over their faces. Max looked the teen in the eye and shoved him away from Joshua.

"You wanna leave him alone?" she threatened, pushing him further away.

"Geez… chill girlfriend. What's a hot transgenic babe doing in a place like this anyway?" he smiled and started to run his fingers through Max's hair. Before Max could react, Joshua was up like a shot and had grabbed the irritating offender by the collar.

"Beat it little man," he said, his voice turning into a low growl.

The boy being held by his collar continued to giggle. "Hey he growls like a dog too!" But his friend suddenly began to realize that Joshua was much taller and stronger than the both of them and raced up to his friend. He tugged Joshua's arms urgently to get his to release the oblivious reprobate. After a second of hesitation, Josh released his grip on the kid and shoved him into his friend. The terrified teen grabbed his friend by the arm and led him away from the angry dog boy.

Max looked up at Joshua. His chest was heaving up and down rapidly, his fists were still clenched, and his eyes held watery tears. She sighed and put a hand to his shoulder. "Look Josh, don't let them ruin your evening."

He smacked her hand away roughly. "Too late," he mumbled and started to walk toward the door. Max blocked his exit and put a hand to his chest.

"You can't let them defeat you Joshua," she said softly. Joshua gently pushed her aside, ignoring her words, and continued his walk to the door. Max watched his leave as he eyes started to glower with anger. "Sure… run away again. Like you always do," she called after him, her voice now raised.

Joshua whipped around, angered by her words. He bounded up to her, returning her angry glare. "You… you don't know what it's like! Because you look… like-like that!" he cried, poking her ribs with his finger. She grabbed the offending finger and stared up at him, not backing down.

"You're right Josh. I _don't_ know. But I do know this; we risked our asses to be free. No one said it would be easy. If you run away, you spit on everything we've stood for and you're-"her voice dropped to a soft whisper, "-you're a coward." Her eyes brimmed with tears as she looked at Joshua's soft eyes and tear stained face. "Please."

Joshua's head drooped slightly. "I'm sorry, Max." With that, he took off through the doors of Crash without a backwards glance. The doors thumped loudly as he left the club. Max breathed out, put her hand through her hair, and checked herself from crying. She kept her composure and returned to the table, taking a long gulp of beer.

Alec sighed and grasped the handle of his own beer mug. His eyes fell upon his watch and he almost jumped out of his seat in surprise. "Uhhh, Max? When was that meeting we're supposed to go to start?"

"Crap!" Max exclaimed, putting down her drink and leaping out of her chair. "Let's blaze." The two nervous transgenics zipped out of the bar in a flash.

"Wow," Sketchy muttered, admiring their speed.

"Damn right," O.C. nodded.

"Ready?" Alec called from behind the bathroom stall.

"Yea," Max muttered, dusting off her formal suit. "I hate these meetings… how do I look?" she asked, tugging at the sleeves.

Alec gave her a once over. "Like a wolf in sheep's clothing," he teased. He always thought Max looked out of place in that dress suit, as hot as she looked to him.

She socked his arm lightly and sighed. Alec put an arm around her shoulder as they walked toward the meeting room. "Look, I know a thing or two about playing a part," he bragged, cocking an eyebrow.

"You mean from all the covert assassination missions," Max scowled.

"Ahhh, who says good ole' Manticore never taught us anything. You want my help or not?"

"Shoot."

Alec ignored the offhanded pun and continued. "One, always remember to appear confident… like everyone around you is something you scrape off your shoe."

"That's reassuring."

"Two, remember everything everyone says to you. People slip up, they stumble, they fall. Our minds are like supercomputers. Remember everything your handy love toy briefed us on." Max rolled her eyes at his reference to Logan, but Alec pressed on.

"Three, remember to use your good looks to your advantage," he advised, soothing back his hair.

"Alec!" Max exclaimed, startled.

"Well, Max, we're designed to make people 'stand up and take notice' if you know what I mean."

Before Max could protest further, Alec had opened the double doors to the meeting room and they were faced with a long table of stuffy looking politicians. They could make out a few in the back whispering to each other as they walked in. The man at the head of the table stood slowly and cleared his throat. "Please come in."

Max and Alec took their seats and sat at the edge of their chairs. The man sitting next to Alec scooted a sit further back in his seat, while the one next to Max tried to subtly lean backward to observe her barcode. Alec coughed uncomfortably, folded his hands in front of him, and addressed the leader of the group. "So… you wanted to see us?"

The head of the table straightened his tie and addressed the table. "Some recent propositions have come up involving transgenics and the committee has decided to vote on them today."

Max chortled and stood up indignantly. "Today! Excuse me, but we were never informed of this decision."

"Well, Miss Guevara… we sent out an Email as we always do," another man, seated next to the director explained with a hint of condescension.

"You do realize that only 40 of our people have access to a computer… at best?" she said, knowing full well that the committee was aware of their limitations.

"We can't _delay_ this Miss Guevara. The committee has much more pressing issues at hand," a woman at the table added.

"Ladies, gentleman… there's no reason to get upset here," Alec smirked, putting up his hands. "Now, tell us about these propositions."

A tall man with slicked back hair stood with a long sheet of paper and adjusted his glasses. "Proposition number one: transgenics shall be required to undergo further inspection at sector checkpoints such as barcode IDs and background checks."

Alec and Max shared a look. Considering all of the criminals allowed to roam free after the Pulse, these extra precautions seemed unnecessary. Still, they knew they had to pick their battles so they reluctantly accepted the proposition.

Now a younger, more nervous man stood. He was sweating profusely as he read the proposal to the transgenics. "Proposition number two: all transgenics should be registered with the Seattle P.D." At Max and Alec's annoyed glances, he continued. "Well… that's not only for us… I mean us people, um, normal people. Uh… (cough) that's also for you. Because you, well, you need to find… each other… right?"

Again, Max and Alec accepted the proposal, but their countenance had soured somewhat. A smaller man with wild, bushy hair stood before them.

"Proposition number three: the committee rules that the transgenics should be barred from certain housing developments. All housing should remain in or in the vicinity of Terminal City."

This proposal, the transgenics vigorously opposed. For months, they had been locked in Terminal City forced to fight for their lives. This 'limited housing' felt all too familiar. They knew of several transgenics who lived far from the boundaries of Terminal City and Seattle and they themselves chose not to live in Terminal City. The committee was called to a vote. A few hands rose in support of the proposition. Max looked around worriedly, and then noted Alec smirking at the two ladies at the table. She scowled at first, but then… seeing how the ladies had not raised their hands, began tousling her own hair seductively. She was frowning inwardly at their dirty tactics, but could not complain when the proposition failed to pass.

"Proposition number four: the committee rules that the transgenics be barred from interacting with jobs involving children or the elderly."

This proposition particularly stung Max. She always felt a strong affection toward children, perhaps since she had been denied a decent childhood herself. The thought of being barred from contact with them purely because of her genetic makeup was unimaginable. Luckily, the proposition failed, albeit by a razor slim majority.

She managed to maintain her composure until the meeting had ended, but once they had left the room Max practically exploded with anger.

"Barred from housing… jobs… when did transgenics get the Jim Crow treatment?" she asked.

"They didn't pass Max. They came close, but they failed. We won again," he pointed out, smiling his signature cocky grin.

"We won? We shouldn't even be fighting this! These things shouldn't even come up!" she exclaimed, surprised at Alec's calm demeanor.

Alec sighed and soothed his hair back. He was trying to keep cool, but inside he felt the same as Max. Pretending to be confident and victorious was his own way of denying the unfair discriminatory treatment his people were receiving. He thought he was handling himself, but suddenly he let go of his frustrations.

"What do you want me to say Max? That everything sucks? That everyday we're getting closer to losing what we've gained? Well, guess what? That's the way things are and we're just going to have to deal with that, okay?" he caught his breath, realizing he had erupted into a yell. He bowed his head as she noted Max's surprised and hurt expression. He hadn't meant to scream at her. She was the one trying to end this more than anyone else. "Sorry," he added in barely a whisper.

Max sighed and cupped his face with one of her hands. "Me too. Look, just… try to relax. Have some fun," she suggested, sympathetically. "I'm going to go over to Logan's. We'll talk when we have a chance to cool off, okay?"

Alec watched Max take off. He wanted to thank her again for freeing her from Manticore. He wanted to tell her that even things were kind of crappy right now, he was glad to have a friend by his side… if nothing else. He wanted to find the words to help Max… to free her of her burdens. He wanted the world to be the way it was before everyone knew about what transgenics were. But he couldn't do any one of those things. For the first time since he had left Manticore, Alec felt a familiar feeling. He felt completely and utterly hopeless.

Max knew only one thing could make her feel better: her boyfriend. Logan and Max had finally been able to consummate their love and officially enter 'couple status' after two years. And after a long day of work, she knew Logan would be right by her side, comforting her, listening to her, pampering her, and most importantly: feeding her.

She could hear her stomach growl angrily as she flung the door of his apartment open. She was tired, frustrated, and way past the point of formalities. She pulled past the sliding doors, eager to track Logan down. Luckily, her search was brief, as the amorous scent of spices filled the air, leading her straight to the kitchen. There she found Logan, dressed in a simple black T-shirt and jeans, cooking up his latest culinary miracle at the stove.

He looked up from his work and smiled at her, ignoring her casual breaking and entering as usual. "Hey, there," he chirped, as he threw slices of tomato into the frying pan.

Max barely glanced at Logan as she spied the bottle of red wine on the kitchen table. She threw back a half hearted "hey" and poured herself a glass. Logan watched, perplexed, as she chugged down the wine. He spoke up as she started to pour a second glass.

"Uhhh, actually Max… that's for the sauce."

She picked up and studied the bottle for a moment. "Burgundy in sauce?"

He walked up to her, his exoskeleton whirring, and cradled the bottle to the stove. "Hey, why don't you get started on those onions over there?" he pointed to the onions on the cutting board, his back toward her. She shrugged, walked over to the cutting board, and picked up a knife. She began chopping the onion into uneven halves with a far off look in her eyes. Logan sensed something was amiss, but started casually.

"Sooo how was your day?" he said, off handedly as he measured the garlic.

"Sucked. Alec and I get attacked by some anti transgenic thugs on a run, Joshua refuses to face any kind of adversity… oh and apparently parents should lock their kids up at night when transgenics roam the streets," she blurted, furiously hacking at the onion as if it was the object of her distress. "What the hell is this stuff anyway?"

Logan scowled at her gruff tone as he pulled the chopping board from her grasp and unceremoniously dumped the chopped onions into the pan. "That good, huh?" he asked, dejectedly as he stirred the contents of the pan.

Max sighed and leaned on her hand. "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to dump on you. It's just… its frustrating, y'know?" She sighed, took a knife to the green pepper in front of her, and talked into the cutting board. "I mean, I thought we were safe. Free. Then suddenly I get another slap in the face. 'Wake up Max, people still hate transgenics.'"

"Not all people," Logan smiled, reassuringly. Max gave him a half- hearted smile back, and then glanced back down at the frying pan.

"Sooo… what is it?"

Logan smiled wider and began spooning the contents of the pan into a long dish. "Eggplant ratatouille."

"Rat-a what?" she asked as she followed him to the table. "That's not a vegetable dish is it?" she asked with a raised brow.

"It is," he admitted as he scooted the tray to the center of the table, positioning it next to the pre-made salad. "Just give it a chance. Have I ever disappointed?"

They ate in silence for a while. After a few minutes, Logan finally broke the ice, "A couple of my contacts have come to me asking about the transgenic movement. One of my contacts, who I taped in the contact room, had a barcode tattoo. I think she wanted to write 452, but it was smudged and I think it said '453.'" He chuckled a bit as he tore at his salad. "Thought it was kinda funny. She had no idea that's your clon-"

"Logan, you don't have to keep doing that," Max interrupted.

"Doing what?"

"I know what you're trying to do," she said between mouthfuls. "Everyday you keep tellin' me all the _good_ news… to make things seem better than they are." She sighed, meeting Logan's eyes. "I kinda need to know the bad stuff too."

Logan frowned and stared into his plate, avoiding her eyes.

"Just how many anti-transgenic groups are out there?" she asked.

He ruffled his hair anxiously, put down his fork, and walked over the computer room. "Maybe you better follow me." Max did as she was told, reluctantly leaving behind her plate.

Logan sat down on his swivel chair and clicked a folder, right on the desktop. He sighed and clicked a few icons to reveal a myriad of pictures. Max shifted uncomfortably. The pictures, of varying quality, showed a number of anti transgenic rallies, protests, and signs from all over the world. She clenched her jaw, willing herself not to lose her cool and spoke softly to Logan. "How many?" she repeated.

"There's maybe four or five big international groups… smaller ones scattered around," he scowled, as he pulled up articles and websites of different anti transgenic organizations. She read the rhetoric of the websites, her brow furrowing and frown intensifying with each new site. Logan looked at her with concern as she browsed through; then suddenly a thought entered his mind.

"Maybe there's a way to help," he announced. "Look… people seemed to be more sympathetic at the trial, after we brought in witnesses from Eyes Only. Maybe if people were reminded of all you did for them, these groups would die down."

"Eyes Only alerts about old cases? People forget, Logan. One heinous crime takes the place of another."

"They wouldn't have to old. Think about it: I'd send you on an Eyes Only mission, as usual, you save the day, and I report about it. Like old times…except you'd get the credit," he smirked proudly at his plan.

"I don't know Logan; if people know I'm coming its hard to keep things on the DL."

"Look, worst case scenario: they up the number of guards. Shouldn't be a problem for someone who escaped from trained military guards in the freezing cold at the tender age of nine," he pointed out.

"Guess it should be a piece of cake," Max agreed and grinned, acknowledging her prowess. Glad to get a smile from Max, Logan rose from his seat and began tenderly rubbing her shoulders. She closed her eyes and pushed closer to him, enjoying the massage with every fiber of her being.

"Look Max, just forget today. Let's… go to bed."

She chuckled slightly. "Is that all you ever think about?"

"After two years of waiting, do you really have to ask?"

She turned and planted a soft kiss on his lips, which he eagerly returned. Then she grabbed him by the hand and led him to his bedroom. Upon entering, she practically pounced on his soft bed and smothered herself in the soft pillows. Logan smiled at his girlfriend affectionately, then turned and began quickly sifting through the drawers for protection. He grasped the wrapper between his fingers excitedly, but when he turned to back to Max he saw she was already fast asleep on top of the covers. Logan sighed and walked over to her side. He brushed a strand of hair from her face. Even in her dreams, her face was contorted with worry and pain. She twitched slightly in discomfort. Logan put a hand on her forehead and sighed. "I'm sorry, Max," was all he could think to say.

Author's Note: Oh yea, the 'propositions' I proposed are very similar to the kinds of laws passed against convicts after they are released from prison. No joke! Also, in case you're curious, eggplant ratatouille is a real food and it's _delicious_! Let me know if you want the recipe. Another note: I fully realize that Max refurbishing Logan's apartment is perhaps a bit silly, but I love that apartment, damnit! But c'mon… don't you prefer his chic apartment over Joshua's dusty house? Admit it! Also, I'm sorry my cliffhanger is sort of lame. The next ones will be better!


	2. Chapter 2: Futher Complications

Chapter 2: Further Complications

Summary: An Eyes Only mission goes south and a betrayal hurts and confuses our hero.

Spoilers: There is some mention of my other fics: "Cant Save Everyone", "Transgenic on Trial", and "Finding Sandeman" but you don't have to read them to understand the story.

Author's Note: Hope you like this one. Took me all night to finish! Please Read and Review! 

After consenting to Logan's plan to help Eyes Only and take the credit, Max found herself alone by the wharf awaiting the newest dirt bag. She leaned against a pillar, listening intently for her target. At last she spied a man in a trench coat who kept darting his eyes in both directions. Ahhh, there was her man. The man in the coat obviously wasn't very comfortable with the transaction that was about to happen. He clutched a briefcase and Max could hear his labored breathing from the end of the dock where she was lying in wait. His hair clung to his scalp and his face was filled with perspiration.

Max thought she'd escape the middle man and just grab the briefcase from this guy, but before she could make her move, the head dirt bag showed up. It was clear that this man had no qualms about what he was doing. He was much more confident and walked with a swagger. His rotund body clearly stated that he had no trouble getting by in this harsh world. His hair was greased back and a smug look was planted on his face. She already loathed the guy.

Max tried to recall what Logan had told her about him. Silvio was a debt collector… part of another post Pulse scheme. He would claim to get people out of debt, get all of their information, and then force people to do his bidding when they couldn't pay him back. If they refused, he would threaten their friends and family. She inched closer as she watched the poor nervous man hand over the briefcase to Silvio. She observed the expression of Silvio's face and immediately guessed what was about to take place.

Max sprang into action and kicked the gun out of Silvio's hand. He stumbled back and Max smashed his face with her elbow. She wrestled the briefcase out of the dazed man's hands and flung it against his chest. Silvio staggered for a moment as he tried to fight Max, but received another kick in the head. With that, the large man fell to the ground unconscious. Max smiled at a job well done, then turned and raced after Silvio's would-be victim. She quickly caught up to him and pressed him up against the pier.

"D-don't hurt me!" he squeaked.

"Yea? And why not? How many people's lives were you screwing up just now?" Max threatened.

"Please! I-I'm sorry. He was going to take everything from me… I didn't have a choice!"

"Let's say I had a way to get you out of the dodge. Let's say I have a way to help you start over and make sure you and your family are safe?" She released her hold on the man and let him drop to the ground. The man held his throat gingerly and looked up at Max.

"You'd do that for me? Why?"

"Let's just say I believe in second chances and leave it at that," Max replied, crossing her arms and glowering at the man. He stood up slowly, rubbing his neck and gazed at Max intently.

"W-wait a minute… I know you! You're that transgenic from the TV! Gosh, I forget the numbers… 4 2 5?"

"452. But the name is Max."

"Max… right, Max. I remember. Name's Joe."

"C'mon, I'll take you to the contact room," she said, leading him away. She flipped open her cell and dialed Logan. "It's me. I need a favor."

A few hours later, that same night, Max searched through the documents Logan had left in the contact room for her. "New identity, money, all here for you and your family," she declared, handling the packet to Joe. "It's probably best that you leave the city."

Joe was walking around the room, his eyes bright and excited. "Wow, this is one of Eyes Only contact rooms. _The_ Eyes Only! Man, I love that guy!" he exclaimed, gesticulating wildly. "You really work for him!"

"Yup," she stated, looking at her watch disinterested.

"See my friend, Austin, was an old war vet. He was on that stuff… cortodiazapine. Eyes Only saved his life! Lemme ask you, what's his angle? Why does he do it?"

Max smiled slightly. She liked Joe. "He's a good man."

Joe smiled back. "You transgenics don't say much, do you? Lemme ask you something: can-can I see the barcode?"

"No," she said seriously, stifling a laugh at her jittery new friend.

"Right… right. Of course not. Stupid! I mean, it's like asking someone if they have a mole or… maybe not quite a mole but- Iiiii'm probably talking too much," he stopped, noticing Max's bemused expression. "Thank you… Max," he said, extending his hand.

Max at last broke into a full smile and shook Joe's hand. Joe clutched his documents to his chest and started walking backwards toward the door. "Maybe I'll pay you back someday. I mean… I don't know how… or when… or at all, but I mean, I hope to… one day," he stuttered and smiled at Max once more before taking off. Max watched him leave and shook her head. Logan would enjoy hearing about this guy.

That same night:

"Please don't do this Joshua! You don't know what you're getting yourself into!" Sandeman pleaded.

"I know what I'm doing, Father!" Joshua exclaimed. "I have to go."

"You don't know what you're doing. This is all hearsay; you know it can't be real! Joshua, you have to deal with this. I thought I taught you-"

"Taught me what Father? You make me and you leave me to them. You-you've given me nothing… but pain," Josh squeaked in a low voice.

"Joshua, you can't say that!" Sandeman cried, as his words struck him. "All the time we spent in Manticore… surely… surely you realize how much you mean to me. And how proud I am of the man you've become…"

"I am not a man!" Joshua cried. "I'm a dog and I'm a man! You can't understand that. You can't!" He looked off in the distance. "Only they can. Only they can…"

"Joshua, please. You're falling into a trap, because you're scared. But I'm here for you… me and Alec and Max…" Sandeman soothed as he tugged on Josh's shirt.

The dogboy shook his head in defiance. "I'm sorry Father. This is my choice," he insisted. Then he darted out of the door before his elderly creator could stop him. The old man stumbled to the door, stood in the doorway, and called out.

"Joshuuaaaaa! Joshuuuuaaaaaaa! Come back! Please come back!"

No one answered back.

"How you doin' Logan?" Asha asked, tilting her head inquisitively.

"I'm doing fine," Logan lied as he shuffled the papers in front of him. He scribbled notes on the side of a loose leaf sheet of paper, without making eye contact.

"You're worried about her, aren't you?" she asked, keeping her gaze to her own work.

Logan sighed and put his hand to his temple. "A lot of people launched movements that helped free their people. You hear about leaders like Ghandi, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King; their leadership and fortitude. No one talks about their off days, when they didn't have the fight in them, or how easy it was to just give up. They put their lives, their happiness, and everything on the line. I see it all the time with Eyes Only. I _know_ how hard it is on Max. I just wish I could help her."

"You do, Logan. You help her everyday by being there for her and you know that," Asha insisted, grasping his hand.

Logan shook his head and rolled himself over to the window. He stared outside, willing for Max to appear outside. "She's so young. Her life's always been full of pain," he put his palm on the pane. "Sometimes I think I'm part of the reason."

Asha came up from behind Logan, leaning her hands on his shoulders. "C'mon Logan… how could you possible be the reason?"

"I opened her eyes. I told her that she shouldn't cut herself off from the world. That it was selfish of her not to care about other people."

"And that's bad, how?"

"Because it was easier before. Not caring was a way to steel herself from her own problems. Now she feel responsible… obligated to everyone. None of this would be happening if she hadn't met me."

"She loves you for that," Asha insisted, massaging his shoulders.

"I know…" Logan sighed, looking at his hands. "I know."

At that moment, the two of them heard the door to Logan's apartment swing open. Max sauntered in and dramatically slammed the briefcase down onto Logan's table in triumph. Asha went up to the table and shifted through the contents of the briefcase in fascination. Logan followed in suit.

"Wow, this briefcase has enough to put Silvio and his crew away forever!" she exclaimed excitedly. "Great job, Max! Eyes Only going to love this!"

"Yea," Logan muttered, smiling at Max.

"You know Max, the S1W's behind the transgenics. We've made a statement to the public," she stated simply as she shuffled through.

"Wow. Thanks Asha," Max smiled gratefully at her. She couldn't help raising her eyebrow in suspicion. As much as Max had come to trust the people around her, her training would always remind her of ulterior motives… and they usually exited.

Sensing some reluctance in Max's response, Asha stumbled for her words, "That's our motto: to fight for what's right." Max and Logan shared a secret smile, which also did not go un-noticed by Asha. Sensing the tension in the room, she quickly replaced the documents and shut the briefcase.

"Ahem, well, I better go," she added hastily, making a beeline for the door. "Oh guys… good luck."

Max and Logan watched her exit, knowing full well that Asha's casual 'good luck' was not only in reference to the Eyes Only case. Logan turned to face Max.

"Another job well done," he said as he began examining the contents of the briefcase. But while Logan examined the briefcase, Max was set on investigating the contents of his refrigerator.

"Got any thing to eat?" she called out, her head already in the fridge. "I know I ragged on that rat-a-whatever dish, but it was pretty good. I could go for some apples, maybe the green kind… Oh man, you have some!"

She triumphantly pulled out the fruit and began crunching noisily. "Man this stuff is good. I mean, it's so hard to find good fruit these days. Most of its all rotten by the time you get it," she mused, but stopped with she saw Logan's serious expression. "Logan, what is it?"

Logan sighed and stood on the side of the kitchen island opposite to Max. "Max, remember how you said that I shouldn't keep the bad things from you?"

She stared down at her bitten apple, rolling it in her hands, and sighed. "Spill."

"Maybe you better come with me…" he motioned and Max followed him to the computer room.

Logan scowled, pulled a sheet of paper from his drawers, and presented it to Max. She processed the information quickly and, wordlessly, handed it back to Logan.

"A contact of mine picked it up near Terminal City. A flyer that promises a 'Transgenic Paradise' away from the rest of society, where transgenics can 'be free to be who they are,'" he explained, quoting the flyer.

"This is a load of bull. Transgenics will know it's a trap. They won't fall for it," Max stated, wondering if she was explaining her reasoning to Logan or herself.

"That's what I thought, too," he agreed, turning back to his computer screen. "Remember how we agreed to keep tabs on the transgenics and transhumans during the siege?"

"We wanted to make sure everyone was safe and accounted for," she nodded.

"I tracked down a couple of them. Wanted to make sure they weren't in any trouble. A few picked up," he loaded up information on the transgenics he contacted. "They said that a few transgenics were unaccounted for. They had disappeared without a trace. A few had said something about 'someplace better.'"

Max had to sit down. "Why would they fall for that?" she whispered.

"Well, it's like you said Max. It's a tough world out there for transgenics. Maybe they just…" he began.

"You don't know what its like! You'll never know what its like!" Max burst out. "They betrayed everything I've fought for…" She took a breath and looked up at Logan. She winced at the pained expression on his face; immediately feeling guilty. None of this was Logan's fault. He had done all that he could.

"Look, Logan I'm sorry. I just- have to clear my head," she said, hastily pulling on her jacket. "I'll catch up with you later."

Max sat atop the Space Needle, contemplating her life and everything that had led up to this point. She remembered the day of the escape; Eva's sudden and unexpected death, how her heart was pounding at she jumped Manticore's walls, how she protested Zack… that they shouldn't split up. She remembered finding Brin with late stage progeria and how her heart wrenched when she gave her back to Manticore; then finding her months later, unrecognizable. She struggled to keep herself together as she recalled how they had taken the life of Tinga and how Zack had saved her life that night. She remembered losing Jondy and how the public was just about ready to send her to the gallows. All she- _they_- had gone through… and they had walked away. Max bit her lip to keep from crying.

Max suddenly recalled her own words of wisdom, almost three years ago on the Space Needle: _Hope is for losers. It's a con job people trip behind till they finally get a grip on the cold, hard truth._ With those thoughts, her grief began to turn to anger, but she wasn't quite sure who she was mad at; the transgenics who chose to abandon the fight or herself for allowing them to leave.

"It's not your fault you know," a voice called out from behind.

Max turned to learn the identity of her mind reader. Alec stood behind her, his hands in jacket pocket, and the wind whipping his hair.

"Who told you?" she asked, ignoring his comment.

"Ah, just happened to find it in the gossip column of _Transgenics Weekly_," he quipped. Then, seeing Max was not amused, he cleared his throat. "A contact from Terminal City. Someone who used to be in my unit." Max nodded, but did not speak.

He sighed and gingerly put an arm around Max's shoulder. "Heyyy, relax Max. It's a war. You're bound to have some deserters. You know: if you can't take the heat stay out of the sun. Right? _Desert_ers? Okay… I'll just shut up now."

"Do you think it's worth it anymore?" said a small voice.

Alec was appalled. "Max, c'mon now. You're our fearless leader! A couple-a cowards shouldn't…" He stopped mid sentence- an idea dawned upon him. He grabbed Max's elbow and stood. "Come with me," he commanded.

"What? Alec, no. I-"

"Come on. Trust me," he said with a devilish glint in his eyes. Max shook her head and reluctantly followed him…

Meanwhile, Silvio rose from his long sleep and felt his jaw. He had nothing… nothing. And with that briefcase that transgenic would probably expose him. Then he would lose all of the gullible suckers he conned to do his bidding. With the loss of his lackeys, he would lose everything; the yacht, the houses, the women, the money, and most importantly, the mob would be after him. They would be exposed too with the information in the briefcase. And then the yachts, the houses, the women, and the money wouldn't matter anymore. Silvio gulped. He didn't like feeling helpless. He was never helpless.

The truth was, Silvio liked being on top. He had been on the bottom his entire childhood and the pleasure he got from ordering around his unwilling clients was greater than anything else. If he could get them to see his side of things… Wait, maybe there was still time. He checked his watch. It was still late in the night. Eyes Only would probably wait until the city was awake to expose him. He still had time.

Silvio stood up straight, brushed himself off, and smiled. He didn't hope that his clients would believe the lie he told them… he _knew_ they would. These were desperate people; living on the edge, in desperation. All they needed was someone to blame…

Max gazed about Terminal City. She saw the new stores, restaurants, apartments as she walked alongside Alec. A few transhumans stopped and stared at them; their large, bright eyes focused intently. She saw a few buildings and rubble scattered over the ground and the structure of a few new buildings. Terminal City was still very much in its preliminary stages, but much had been accomplished since the transgenics were freed.

She looked over at her companion, but he prodded on intent on their destination. "I hate to burst your bubble, but I visit Terminal City at least three times a week. There's nothing going on here I don't know about," she said matter-of-factly.

"Maybe you just don't visit at the right times," Alec replied cryptically. He stopped abruptly and stared forward. Max looked at a particularly dilapidated building. Cracks emanated from all around, the ceiling was partially rotted, and bits of brick and mortar were missing from it. The building had no windows at all; just a large steel door. Max wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"I remember this one; the council wanted to condemn it. Last I heard it was scheduled for demolition soon."

"You heard wrong," Alec grinned and pulled her toward the entrance. He yanked the door open in one swift motion. Max had to shield her eyes as she was greeted to a bright light. She pulled her arms down and her mouth dropped in shock.

Inside the building was an enormous bar, decorated elaborately with neon signs. Graffiti covered the walls and table; behind which were shelves full of alcohol in bottles of all shapes in sizes. She saw two female transgenics playing pool, others playing air hockey, some hung around the tables playing cards, and there was a wide open space with scattered blockades where a large group of transgenics played laser tag. Max tried to wrap her head around the vision before her. Her first thought was that this was one bitchin' bar… the second was the nagging question: why didn't she know about this?

She shoved Alec at that thought. "Hey, why the hell don't know I know about this?" she spat angrily.

"Owwww," he said, rubbing his arm. "Let's just say that maybe some of the transgenics financed this bar through financial means that were… not entirely legal."

Max rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to say that stealing set a bad example to the outside world. But before she could, Alec placed a hand on her mouth.

"Don't think about that. We're here to have fun. You do remember what fun is, don't you Maxie?" he teased.

"Don't call me, Maxie. Only my brothers and sisters can-" she stopped mid-sentence as she gazed across the room. "Krit."

She raced over to the bar and shouted over to her brother. Krit put down his drink and embraced his sister. Smiling, he handed her a drink and looked her over. "So Max… hear you're the one responsible for this whole 'transgenic revolution.'"

"I guess so," she shrugged, grinning mischievously.

"Man, I can't believe this. Just a few months ago I thought you were dead!"

"Just a technicality," she replied. A forlorn look flashed in her eyes and she quickly downed her drink.

The look in Max's eyes had not gone unnoticed by Alec. He quickly reappeared beside her and handed her a laser gun. "Hey, who's in?" he quipped, enthusiastically.

"I don't think so, Alec…" she started.

"Why not? Think you pathetic escapees can get me?" he prodded. Krit smiled at Alec's taunting and grabbed a gun for himself.

"C'mon Max, we can take him," he encouraged, sizing Alec up.

"Come on Max, don't you want to humble your old buddy Alec?" he offered, arching one eyebrow. Max sighed and cocked the gun.

"Let's do this," she conceded.

As the night wore on, more and more transgenics joined the game. The game was reminiscent of their past at Manticore, back when the guns were actually loaded with bullets. But when the game was (mostly) harmless, the X5s found the game was perfectly geared toward their training. At first Max joined only half-heartedly, but gradually she became a serious competitor. She raced around the blockade as five different X5s shot their lasers in her direction. She grinned triumphantly as the game ended, without a single laser hitting her.

"I always was good at Escape and Evade," Max remarked as Krit complimented her. They shared a smile and bumped fists. Alec pointed his laser at her helmet again. Max rolled her eyes.

"Game's over Alec. No need to be a sore loser," she teased.

"Yea well, I still won. That's 5 to me, 4 to you," he pointed out, a smug smile across his face.

"Let's up the stakes then," Max urged. Krit eventually dispersed after a few games, while Max and Alec began to engage in a myriad of games throughout the night and into the early morning hours. They played card games, foosball, and even competed on their bikes. Max popped a wheelie atop the bar table, and then balanced the bike on its front wheel. She kept her stance perfectly, until the tire skidded over a casually slipped drink on the table. The bike toppled over along with Max. She slammed into the ground into a heap. Alec eased off his bike and ran to her side.

"Max! Max? Are you alright?"

But when Max peeled herself off the floor, she didn't appear to be in any pain. In fact, she was laughing uncontrollably. "I can't remember the last time I did that," she reminisced. She noticed the startled look of many members of the bar in her direction. Several came over to lend their hands. "I'm okay!" she shouted, raised an arm and feeling a bit uncomfortable with all the attention.

She started to ease herself off the floor and placed her hand on the table. On the bottom of the table some words were scrawled in graffiti. She almost toppled back over when she realized the words read, _"MAX."_ She diluted her eyes as she read the writing all over the walls. Her name appeared several times throughout the whole bar.

"I don't get it… I thought they hid this from me. Why is my name everywhere?" she asked, confused as she sat down on a nearby stool.

"Hey well, you might be a hard ass but… that doesn't mean they don't owe you everything," Alec explained an oddly intense look in his eyes.

'That's why you brought me here… to show they still…"

"Yeah."

"Alec… I don't know how to thank you," she said. She gazed at Alec, noticing something she hadn't before.

"Don't," he insisted, fidgeting uncomfortably. "I mean, don't get me wrong… you're not the easiest person to work with. There's the shouting, the bossiness, the rudeness, the general abuse, but I… I mean they… don't know where they'd be if you-"

"Alec… shut up," she interrupted. In a shift motion, she pulled at his jacket collar to draw him closer and fought hungrily for his lips. Alec responded, giving into his long awaited desires, and held her face in his hands. Their lips locked for a long moment until loud whooping behind them broke the moment. Max opened her eyes, startled by the small crowd of bystanders. She suddenly felt a warm blush on her cheeks and gently pulled away from Alec. Her eyes wandered nervously as she gauged the crowd. She pushed herself off the stool and grasped her jacket from the seat. Alec's brows knitted in confusion as he watched her actions. She looked back at him for a moment. Her mouth was agape as she searched for her words… any words.

"I'm sorry," she told him in a soft voice and dashed off before Alec could react.

At the same moment, Silvio paced the room, eyeing the large group of bedraggled and tired-looking men at the table. They kept their gaze on the large man, hanging on his every word. Silvio cleared his throat and continued his triad.

"So you see my friends, it was the transgenic. The very same you see on TV day after day. It was she who stole all of your money, right under my nose! It was easy for her to do it. They have their… special skills," he scoffed as he recalled how Max had disposed of him hours earlier.

"But why? The transgenics get their share from the government," one man offered.

"The government? The government!" he shouted, pounding against the table. "You think it matters to them? These are trained, dangerous killers! They live above the law. They don't feel. They'd kill their own children… snap their necks right before your eyes!"

The man who spoke out shrunk in his seat at his words. Silvio smiled inwardly and cracked his knuckles. "They have stolen your livelihood. Your lives! The government may turn their back on the transgenics. They fear them. They know how powerful they are. But you… you're different. You will not be intimidated by them."

"What can we do? You said yourself… how powerful they are!" another one squeaked.

"Ahhh, together they are powerful. Prepared they are powerful," he explained. He was silent a moment, then suddenly he whirled around, pointing a taser in front of the man. The man jumped in his seat, afraid. "Ah! You see? The element of surprise!"

He put away the taser and put his arm around the man he had threatened. "You see my friend, transgenics are formidable allies… but they are just as mortal as you and me." The man smiled back at Silvio and rose from the table.

"Tell us where to find her!" The rest of the table rose up and began shouting in agreement. Silvio grinned at the crowd in front of him, pleased with his work. The desperate were entirely too easy to manipulate and thanks to public's non-stop coverage of transgenic he knew exactly where to find her…

Author's Note:

Ok first, Eeeeeek! Don't hate me ML shippers! You'll get your ship in the end. You too MA shippers! Relax… deep breaths. (I had to write some MA though. If you've read my other fics, you know that I've been leading up to it.) By the way, whichever ship you choose to read, Logan or Alec will NOT become villains. I don't really like that.

Silvio may be partially inspired by Big Brother since I recently finished _1984_. (Loved it!) I got the name Silvio from a Mafia name generator. :D Haha! I love green apples too, but Max ate them in "Meow" so I'm not pushing it too much.  The next chapter should be up in two or three days so stay tuned and thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3: A Love Triangle

Chapter 3: I'm a Lover, not a Fighter

Summary: Max deals with her new feelings toward Alec, her relationship with Logan, and an expected surprise.

Author's Note: I play up the love triangle in this one.

Original Cindy stretched, yawned, and rolled out of bed the next morning. Her nose wrinkled as she smelled a distinctive burning odor. _Damn, house fire_, was the first thing she thought. She quickly tied off her robe and scurried off to find the source of the smell and extinguish it before it burnt down the whole complex. As soon as she reached the kitchen however, she found that it was not on fire at all. No, it was something much more horrible. Max… was cooking.

"Hey, OC! I made you pancakes," she said, all too rapidly. She flipped over, what was supposed to be a poor excuse for pancake batter. Original Cindy stared at the battle zone that was the kitchen: egg shells were scattered all over the floor and the counter. Bits of batter stuck to the pan, the stove, and most of the counter. The milk was left open; butter was melting into the flour, which had found its way not only over the entirety of the kitchen but all over the chef as well.

"Max, you…. make pancakes?" asked Cindy skeptically.

"I tried to make a cake… didn't really turn out so well," she explained, pointing the spatula toward the other side of the kitchen where a lopsided, pathetic looking cake flopped over a small dish. Max scooped into the pan and brought out a crooked pancake, presenting it toward O.C. "So… pancake?" she offered.

Original Cindy found a plate and awkwardly presented it. "Lay it on me, Boo."

Max flopped the pancake onto the plate and returned back to the pan. Cindy eyed the abomination, tore a small piece off, and cautiously stuck it in her mouth. She immediately tried to suppress her gag reflex.

"How was it?" Max asked, not looking up.

"It was… it was good Boo… unique. Definitely unique."

Max raised an eyebrow, judging O.C.'s expression. "It can't be that bad," she shrugged and nibbled one herself. Immediately she spat it out in her hand and scowled. "Damn… that's worse than the crap we ate at Manticore."

Original Cindy sighed, crossed over to where Max was, and clicked the stove on 'off.' "Something must be up, cuz Sister Girl's not gonna try to go all domestic goddess on me for no reason," she reasoned. Max didn't meet her eye, but stared at the pan.

After a beat she muttered, "Well see, that's the thing about not needing to sleep at night. Definitely too much time to be alone."

Original Cindy put a hand to her lip. "What's up, Boo?"

Max took the pan of disgusting pancakes and scrapped them into the garbage receptacle. She stared at the mess in the trash and finally answered, "I messed up."

"Yea, I'd say so. Those were the worst things I've ever tasted," Cindy quipped.

Max looked at her over her shoulder. "I mean… really messed up," she said quietly.

"Messed up as in… really bad jail time? Somethin' going down in Terminal City? Lover's quarrel?"

At this Max bit her lip and sighed. "I kissed Alec."

"Damn, that _is_ news," Cindy agreed, letting the news sink in.

"God, why did I do it? Alec. The single most annoying person I know. And the thing is… I don't even know why."

"Maybe you got that estrus cycle bitch happening again. I mean, you hit on _Normal_ that day. I wouldn't have believed it, unless I'd seen it. And I wish I hadn't," she recalled, shuddering at the memory.

Max thought for a moment, and then shook her head. "I don't think so. It wasn't like that."

"Could it be that you actually like him?" O.C. prodded.

"Alec? I hate him. I loathe him. He drives me up the wall, he's a pain in the ass-"

"-And he's not really the same person you met back in Manticore, either. You know that… whether you're willing to admit it or not. Plus you do spend a lot of time saving his ass for someone you hate."

Max gave a half-smirk and rolled her eyes. "Don't think too much on that. I've saved a lot of dirtbags in my day," she noted, thinking about Lydecker, Bruno… hell even Normal.

"Alright then Boo… riddle me this: Being the 'Superstar Transgenic Hero of the Hour', why do you still bother to go to a job you hate? I know my ass would be out of that hellhole by now if I were you."

"It's not that bad… keeps me grounded."

"Or maybe you just enjoy the company?"

Max recalled the recent repertoire she and Alec had built up at Jam Pony: the bike races, the dodging in and out of the dangerous sectors in town, and the playful teasing that went on down there. She let Cindy's words hit her as she continued clearing away the mess she had made. She stooped down to pick up a few broken eggshells. "Well, I guess he's pretty decent considering the kind of life he's had. If I look past the incredibly annoying part… we have fun. Sometimes." She sighed and sat back down, fingering the eggshells. She looked back at Cindy, "Thing is, what I feel for Logan? It's still there too."

"So you're sayin'… you don't know what you feel."

Max sat down slowly and poured herself a cup of coffee. She held the mug in her hands and stared with a far-off look on her face. "Maybe."

"Maybe you owe it to him and to yourself to find out."

Max shook her head, fixating on the wall in front of her. "No, I can't do that. Logan… he still means a lot. He's done so much. Maybe I could just… let this thing pass."

"Boo, hiding from how you feel is gonna give you nothin' but trouble. Just be real with Alec. Talk to him and see what it means."

"You're right."

"'Course I am. Oh, and one more word of advice, Boo?" Original Cindy added as she slung her backpack over her shoulder.

"Yea?"

"Don't you ever cook again," she smiled.

Later that day at Jam Pony…

Alec slammed his locker, feeling distraught. It had been hours since Max had run out on his in the club. _What had he done wrong? Did she feel anything towards him? What was the deal with the kiss? _He had been paging her and calling her cell all morning, but Max was nowhere to be found. It was later revealed that Max had actually come into work, but seemed to be out on a run at the most inopportune moments.

Alec pushed and hand through his hair and leaned against his locker. _She was avoiding him. _It was actually worse than being outright rejected… which he figured would the forgone conclusionThe waiting… the anticipation… allowing feelings to resurface which should have been hidden. He didn't realize how transparent he was, until Original Cindy suddenly approached him.

"Jonesing over Max?" she asked.

Alec was taken aback and straightened himself up. "Max? No, Pamela… the new rider. She's a little rough around the edges, but if I play it right, I'm sure I can sweep her off her feet," he smirked.

Original Cindy scowled and crossed her arm. "I know what's up with you two?"

"Ahhh, forget it. You know… she was probably confused. She's had a lot on her mind," he claimed, waving his hand.

"Including you. Original Cindy knows you've got a thing for her. Maybe she does too… but you'll never know if you both wimp out and go into 'soldier mode'" she explained, mock saluting.

Alec's head was suddenly swimming. "Max has a thing for me?"

"Man, Original Cindy ought to just open up an advice column for emotionally crippled X5s. Here's the deal suga, you both gotta deal with this. Lay out all your cards on the table. Don't let Max walk away from you. You do what you gotta do," Cindy glanced over Alec's shoulder. "Here's your chance now," she said, noticing Max walking through the door.

Alec quickly dove behind the lockers and waited to ambush Max. He noticed that she kept looking back and forth for him as she walked cautiously toward her locker. As she stood figuring out the combination, he suddenly appeared before her. "Hey Max, lookin' for me?" he asked, nonchalantly resting his hand on her locker door.

"Alec! Ummm, I'm just about to go… on a run," she fumbled, averting his eyes. She started to walk toward the dispatch desk, but Alec cut her off.

"We need to talk about what happened, Max," he said assertively.

"Yesterday. Look Alec, it was all a big mistake. I mean, it was no big deal, right?" she claimed, faking a smile. She tried to walk forward again, but Alec put a hand on her chest to stop her.

"It happened, though. You kissed me. That's gotta mean something," he continued, with more agitation in his voice.

Max searched his eyes, feeling guilty for the angst she seemed to be causing him. She searched for another excuse, but finding none, remained silent. Alec sighed, seeing Max's vulnerability.

"Meet me at Crash. Eight o' clock tonight. Don't be late," he said quickly and walked away. Max watched him go and sighed. Manticore super soldiers were equipped to take down guys three times their size, but it was always Love that was the greatest battle.

Still, you don't have to be an emotionally stunted X5 to be stupefied by Love. Even for you're a cyberjournalist genius, Love is still a tricky story to master. Logan put his head in his hands as he recalled his conversation with Max from the previous night. There was nothing he could do to ease her doubts, her despondency. This wasn't a simple problem, which blew over or something that you could wave off in the morning.

He had been a cyberjournalist for years. He had seen the worst of the worst of humankind: murder, incest, drugs, crime lords, child slavery, the list went on. Still, he had always worked behind the scenes. He had never personally led a group of individuals against the fight. They always came to him. He wasn't even sure he could do it. After all, public speaking made him nervous.

_It's harder to be betrayed when its one of your own… when it's the few people you can trust in the world_, he realized. He wished he hadn't scolded Max; he should have comforted her. He should have helped her relax for once. It was hard for Eyes Only to understand when enough was enough. _The Eyes never sleep_, an informant once remarked. He stood staring at his computer screen. It was about time for Eyes Only to expose Silvio and credit his loyal avenger for her good deed. Logan sighed and removed his mouthpiece. He couldn't concentrate anymore. He thought for a moment, then grabbed his phone and dialed Max. She picked up on the third ring.

"Max."

"Logan…"

"Look Max, about the other night…"

"It's okay, Logan."

"No… it's not. There are some things we should discuss."

(_silence_)

"Look, do you want to meet tonight? At Crash?"

"… Sure. When?"

"Eight o' clock." The time echoed in Max's ears, yet she ignored the information in her head.

"Yea. Okay."

"… Max? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine… see you at eight," she replied and hung up quickly.

_Crash at approximately 7: 50 pm_

Logan sat at the bar as he steadily sipped the beer in front of him. Every couple seconds, he would watch the door for Max. He fidgeted uncomfortably in his stool and stuck his hands in his coat pocket. He smiled as he caressed the small, velvet box, and then patted the pocket. He tipped the beer in his mouth again, knowing full well that it did little to steady his nerves. It had taken all day, but he was sure he found a way to make Max happy.

Across Crash at one of the back tables, Alec sat back in his chair. He shifted uncomfortably and drank his whisky in one quick gulp. He felt a slight buzz and shook it off. A couple of women had come by, giggling and feeling his barcode, but he politely shooed them away. Only one woman was on his mind today. He turned and stared at the entrance… if only she'd show up. His eyes roved over to the bar. Was that… Logan? Confused, Alec pulled his chair back and went to greet him.

Alec walked behind Logan and cleared his throat. "Hey, Logan."

"Alec," he acknowledged. He looked around for Sketchy, Original Cindy, or a halfway decent looking female. Finding none, he scrunched his brow. "What are you doing here?"

"Lookin' for Max. You?"

"Same." The two men eyed each other, suspiciously. They stood in place, not knowing quite what to say and gazed intently at the door, hoping Max would arrive soon.

Max rode her motorcycle toward Crash, wondering how in the hell she was going to pull this off. What did Logan want to tell her? How was she going to explain about Alec? And just how exactly did she feel about Alec? She went through her head all the possible scenarios she could devise. Max was within a few blocks of Crash, thinking that this was going to be quite possibly the worst night of her life and hoping that there was some way she could get out of her predicament altogether.

Be careful what you wish for. Max pushed on the brakes as she saw a group of ten none-too-pleased men approaching her. She was about to pull tail out of there, but the men started shooting at her tires. The bike tipped over and crashed. Max looked down at her Ninja feeling despondent for all that the bike had been through recently, then faced her opponents.

She stood in a fighting stance. Two men came at her from both sides; one aiming a gun at her head, the other running at her with a baseball bat. Timing it to perfection, Max ducked so that the bullet aimed for her, caught the man with a bat in the chest. The gun toting man was so surprised by the turn of events, that he gave Max a chance to shoot her leg up and knock the gun out of his hands. The man dove for his gun, but she slammed his in the face with her elbow and kneed him in the chest, bringing him down for the count.

She heard a gun shot and ducked as she caught wind of another man with a gun. This man was a bit smarter, when Max rushed up to him and grasped hold of his arm; he flipped his arm back, catching her in the jaw. She responded with a head butt, which knocking him to the ground. Feeling her jaw, she gave him a swift kick in the stomach. "I hate guns," she muttered, kicking his gun away. The gun sailed through the air and hit the head of another attacker, who fell unconscious on the ground next to her.

Hoping she was finished, Max scowled as she saw even more men rush toward her with guns, baseball bats, and knives, surrounded her on all sides. She sighed; though she was a soldier, she preferred to avoid conflict if at all possible, but if they insisted she couldn't deny their invitation. One man stood to the side of her, in an awkward fighting stance holding only a knife. It was clear to Max that the man was reluctant to fight. She sighed, wrestled the weapon out of his hand and pressed him against the wall.

"What is it you people want with me?" she shouted.

"We… you… he said you stole. All our money," the man squeaked nervously. Max raised a fist to block the arm of the large man carrying a heavy police baton. She whirled around and landed a kick right in the nuts. The man doubled over and fell to the ground.

"Who told you that?"

"Ahhh… Silvio! It was Silvio!" he cried. "Please don't hurt me!"

She sighed and released her grip. "Go," she commanded and the man took off eagerly. She briefly wondered why the very same men she had rescued from the corrupt loan shark were out to get her.

She barely had time to consider the situation, when another man came rushing at her with a bat. She felt the presence of another man behind her, concealing a knife. Max reached up to catch his hand then flipped him over and onto the attacker in front of her. The impact successfully knocked them both out. One man watched Max perform the latest feat. He watched her in awe, but when she approached him he took off in fear, crying out his apologies.

Max gazed at the strewn bodies on the ground with satisfaction. She felt the neck of the one man who was shot and realized that was alive. Sighing, Max flipped her cell and dialed 911. As she waited and began counting the bodies, she realized that she was one short. She was about to turn to look for the last, when she felt a loud _thack_ against the back of her skull. She looked over her shoulder to see the last man stood over her, a large baseball bat in his hands and a proud grin on his face. He mouthed something to her, but all she heard a loud ringing in her ears as pain surged through her head. Barely conscious, Max flung her leg backwards at her attacker. She hit him right in the chest and sent him flying backwards into a wall. The surprised man fell into a heap on the floor and passed out.

But Max never saw the man hit the ground. She pitched forward to her knees, her head in a whirl. Everything around her became blurry, the ground began to spin, and then everything went dark.

THE END

Author's Notes: Just kidding! It's not the end!

God, I'm violent! I can't even remember how many fight sequences it's been. I hope I kept it semi-interesting. The thing I really tried to do was make sure that even though ordinary people had to beat Max for the story (you'll see), I wanted to make sure that _she_ got the best of them. It bothered me a bit in "Love among the Runes" that Biggs was beaten so easily… he's an X5! So yea, Max kicks ass.

I hope I did okay with Original Cindy. She's hard to write! Don't want to go too subtle or too far with the slang.

The pancake story is not my story. I wouldn't even try it.

So what happened to Max? How does she really feel toward the men in her life? What's in the box? Stay tuned! And if you want good karma for the day, leave a review too.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Stop Crying Your Heart Out

Author's Note: Oh dear, whatever happened to Max! You'll find out in this chapter.

ML goodness, MA goodness. Shippiness for both ships.

Twenty minutes later, Logan and Alec looked at their watches simultaneously. They shared a worried look as they looked around Crash. Their concentration was broken by a group of rowdy children, who seemed to be especially anxious about something. Alec focused in with his more advanced hearing and was able to discern the excited ramblings from behind the roar of the crowd.

"Woah! Did you see the alley? There must be like- 15 guys knocked down!" one squealed, flailing his arms about.

"Yea, and check out what I found: free motorcycle!" she struggled to lift the heavy motorcycle in her arms.

At the sight of Max's Ninja the two men shot up out of their seats and approached the children.

"Where did you say you found that?" insisted Logan.

One child scowled, "Just a few blocks away, what's it to you?" Without answering, Logan darted out of the bar and onto the streets.

"Yea and that belongs to a friend of ours," Alec insisted, wrestling the bike from the girl's grasp. The children scowled, but backed off as they noted Alec's dangerous look. His triumphant rescue of the Ninja was short-lived, however. His finally tuned Manticore ears picked up on a new sound emanating from the Crash alley.

"_Max!"_ he heard Logan scream. Alec's body tensed as he grasped the handlebars of the bike and took off in the direction of Logan's voice. He skidded to a stop at the sight he saw before him.

Logan was shouting and holding up Max's limp body in his arms. A few tears trickled down his cheeks as he looked into her eyes. This scene was way too familiar in his mind. His mind was reeling so fast that he barely heard Alec's voice speak to him.

"Logan? Logan, okay, you need to let me," Alec sighed. He needed to get to Max, but Logan was holding her so tightly that it seemed he thought she would break at any moment. Alec stooped down next to him and placed two fingers on Max's neck. He smirked slightly and nodded. "She's got a pulse."

He quickly stood, flipped the cover of his cell phone, and started dialing 911. He stuck his hand in his pocket as he waited for the dial tone. He glanced at Logan and Max, then at the bodies strewn around them. Alec blew air out of his cheeks as he tried to displace himself from the situation.

"She did a number on them, huh Logan? She's a one woman SWAT team," he joked. Logan glared at him as tears continue to fall down his face. _How could Alec make light of a situation like this?_ Alec could tell what Logan was thinking, but didn't respond. Luckily, an operator saved him the awkward pause.

"Hello? Yeah, operator?..."

The hospital room was silent, except for the soft beep of the EKG. Logan tenderly felt Max's palm as she silently slept in her hospital bed. He had been keeping vigil by Max's side all night, with no signs of letting up. The only response from Max was the deep breathing and slight rise of her chest. The doctors had stitched up the deep gash in the back of her head, hidden from view by her short hair. She was mostly unscathed with a small cut over her eye and her upper lip. In fact, she looked almost peaceful for once.

A soft knock came from the door, the knob twisted, and a small man in a lab coat poked in. He smiled nervously and stood before the eager men, shifting his feet back and forth. "Gentlemen, we, well, that is _I_-I have taken over the case," he declared and straightened up, feigning confidence.

"Taken over? What's wrong?" Logan stood up, standing protectively over Max.

"N-nothing! Nothing's wrong. It's just, uhhh, Max has a particular, ummm, genetic makeup that could be described as, ehhm, unusual," he finished.

"We're really entrusting her health to this guy?" Alec whispered to Logan.

"I-I assure you, I'm not what I seem. I mean, I seem… I'm a competent doctor," the doctor announced, his voice squeaking in indignation.

"Well 'doctor'," Alec spat out coldly. "If you're so competent, then tell me what you happen to know about our 'unusual makeup.' You don't look like a Manticore doctor to me."

"Oh no!" he cried. "Certainly… certainly not. That kind of unethical- well the truth is… I don't know too much about your biology." Alec rolled his eyes in annoyance. "But I have read about it! And, well, the truth is I have a vested interest in Miss Guevara's health and safety."

At that statement, Logan and Alec both eyed the doctor suspiciously. "And why is that?" Logan breathed out, crossing his arms for emphasis.

"Oh no! Nothing like that. Miss Guevara, Max… she- she saved my life," Joe explained.

Logan let his arm dangle by his sides and sighed with relief. "How's she doing, doc?" he implored, more politely.

The doctor nodded and wiped his brow, a bit spun by the angry looks of Max's friend. He ambled over to Max's EKG, checked the wiring, ventilator, and other equipment for a moment, jotting down a few notes in the process. He turned back uncertainly. "Well, truthfully? It's hard to tell now. She-she's in a deep coma. It's pretty serious. Not sure how long it will take her to come out of it… if- well there's always a possibly…" he coughed awkwardly, refusing to finish his thought. "It could be anyway from a couple weeks, a month, ummm maybe even a couple years. She's got some damage to her temporal lobe so there may be… probably is some memory loss. Not sure what the damage is yet."

"So what you're saying is you don't know anything," Alec finished. Logan jabbed him with his elbow.

"I'm sure you'll do everything you can, doc," Logan said more optimistically. But Alec's comment hadn't gone unnoticed, and Joe looked to the ground, unhappily.

"I'm sorry. I know what you're going through." the doctor replied, with a far off look in his eyes. Alec and Logan looked at him in perplexity. "My wife… she was hit by a car. I spent years waiting for her to come out of it, hoping for a miracle. Never came."

Joe squeezed his lids, trying to keep from crying. Logan put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry."

The doctor regained composure and stood up straight. "Thank you," he said appreciatively to Logan. "I'm going to do some research on your friend's… unique condition. Who knows? Maybe she'll surprise us all." He managed a weak smile and left Logan and Alec alone.

Logan turned back to Max and squeezed her hand. "Its gonna be okay, Max," he whispered. Alec sighed, rubbed the back of his neck and walked out of the room. The rest of the night he traversed the hospital, going anywhere except Max's room. He laughed at the sappy cards at the gift shop, hit on all the available nurses and orderlies, and stuffed medical supplies in his pockets for fun. After a couple hours, he found himself outside the door to her room. He stood at the doorway and drummed his fingers on the wood. He cleared his throat and stuck his head in the door.

"Heyyy, Logan? Do you want something? Some coffee?" he said perkily.

Logan snapped up, having accidentally nodded off. He groaned, pulled off his glasses, and rubbed his eyes with one hand. "Naaah, Alec… that's alright." He replaced his glasses on his arm and turned toward him. "Sit down."

Alec's eyes darted uneasily as he slid cautiously into the room. He smirked slightly, shoved his hands in his pockets, and positioned himself in the chair across from Logan's. He cleared his throat and looked at Logan, then to Max. His breath caught in his throat as he stared at her helplessly. Suddenly, he jolted up and snapped open his cellphone. "You know… I should probably let the others know. I'll just… I'll be outside. Be back in a minute, okay?" he promised and left again.

Logan watched him go, his brow knitted in confusion, then turned back to Max. Although he knew that the CDC knew all about transgenics now and the Familiar cult was almost powerless, he wouldn't anyone get to her like last time. No… she would be safe with him. He would wait till she recovered and things would be different. Unless she never recovered… But Logan wasn't thinking about that. He couldn't think about that. It was the only thing keeping him from breaking down.

_The next day…_

Logan felt a reassuring hand on his shoulder and looked up. Original Cindy stood in front of him, a comforting smile on his face. "You okay, suga?"

Logan scowled and rubbed his eyes. "Was I asleep?"

"Suga, you need to get yourself some rest," she said gently.

"Max is-"

"Uh-uh. Don't even. You've been hear all night. Max'll be fine. She's with Original Cindy now," she added, more sternly. Logan smiled slightly, noting O.C.'s concern for him. Logan rose unsteadily as he gazed over in Max's direction.

"Don't even worry about," she insisted. "Go." Logan nodded, too exhausted to argue, and headed out of the hospital in a half-dazed state. Original Cindy cleared her throat uncertainly and took a seat by Max's bed. She eased toward her sleeping form as she settled into the warm chair. She scowled. Max looked so frail, so vulnerable… not the same supersoldier she knew her to be.

"Hey Boo," she began. "Damn, it's hard to see you like this. If I ever find those sons of bitches who did this do you, Original Cindy's gonna lay a smackdown on their ass. Straight up." Her voice trembled in anger. She gulped down the lump that formed in her throat and spoke more softly. "Boo, you gotta get through this. We all need you. I mean… who knows where Original Cindy coulda been without her sister getting her back? You gotta come back, Max." She reached out and squeezed her hand. A tear rolled down as she gazed at her best friend's still form. She nodded, satisfied with her speech and turned to leave. As she turned to go, she bumped into her tall, gangly friend.

"Sketch? What are you doin' here?"

"Checkin' on our girl, of course," he smirked. He waggled his pen and lifted up a small pad of paper. "Man, I am all over this. Those dudes that jumped her? The same guys she tried to help. They're totally in the same wing of the hospital. What a story huh? New World Weekly's gonna lay some green on me for this one!" Original Cindy glowered at Sketchy for his opportunistic attitude. Just as she was about to protest, Sketchy noticed Max in the back of the room. He was at a loss for words for a moment. "That her?"

"Yea," O.C. replied softly. "They really jammed her up."

Sketchy approached her nervously as he noted all the wires and Max's IV bag. "Is she gonna be okay?"

"Doctor's don't know." She noticed Sketchy's apprehensiveness and prodded him. "You should talk to her."

He laughed awkwardly. "Talk? I mean she can't… she can't hear me can't hear me."

"Maybe, maybe not. Maybe you don't talk for her; maybe you're talking for you."

Sketchy lipped his lips and nodded. "Hey Max. Uhhh, sorry… for all the times I screwed up and you saved my ass. You didn't have to, but- you did. You always come through in the end, I know you. In a few days, you're gonna be up, saving my ass again. I'll stay out of trouble till then. I'll write your story, okay? They're gonna pay for what they did. It's all good… it's all good." Sketchy nodded and turned away from her.

Original Cindy put a hand on his shoulder. Sketchy nodded weakly and the two friends left the room together. They both shared a backward glance at Max, hoping that somehow, she would pull through.

Life went on without Max, of course. Alec took up her duty as leader of the transgenics. He found the job very time consuming, unpleasant, and keeping the grunts in line felt too reminiscent of Manticore. He struggled with Terminal City's finances and with warring factions. He was also worried about the conspicuous absence of Joshua these days. No one seemed to know where he went. In fact, Terminal City seemed to be… shrinking. A few apartment building lay vacant here and there. The residents were stumped. A search party was formed, which continued into the night with no luck and no leads.

Despite everything though, Alec was doing a fair job of keeping the differing factions in order; checking on business as usual in Terminal City, organizing political meetings, and delegating authority to others. Without the transgenic's former leader breathing over his shoulder, Alec even found time to frequent more bars around town. He chided himself for keeping to Crash, instead of exploring the rest of Seattle's bustling night life.

Alec shoved his signed clipboard to Normal at the dispatch desk and stretched. "Alright, Normal, I'm takin' off."

Normal nodded and grasped the clipboard. "That's my golden boy."

Sketchy spied Alec walking toward the exit and raced up to him, package in hand. "Hey, Alec! Wait up!"

"Hey, what's up buddy? I'm gonna head down to Blowfish Tavern. You in?" he asked with a cocky smile.

"Actually, Original Cindy and I were gonna visit Max today."

Alec blinked. "And?"

"You should come with us, man. You gotta visit her sometime."

"Sketch, I'm the new leader of a bunch of unruly mutants, I work part time as a bike messenger… I need my break, huh? Sorry, man," he said, patting Sketchy on the shoulder. Sketchy bit his lip and scowled as he watched Alec walk away.

Meanwhile Logan was typing furiously at his laptop, shutting out the world around him. He had spent much of the past few days by Max's side and the other half by his computer trying figure out who would want to attack the world's most famous transgenic. The police, under pressure by the transgenic population, had investigated the incidents surrounding Max's appearance behind Crash and at last identified the perpetrators. Logan adjusted his glasses and leaned back in his chair as he tried to figure out the connection between Max and her assailants. After some extensive searching, he realized that they were not Familiars or affiliated with them in any way. He reasoned that if they were, they would have been a lot less scraped up than they were when people I.D.ed them. He also investigated the anti transgenic angle. Each of the main transgenic groups denied involvement in Max's attack, though they applauded the assailant's efforts. _What was the connection?_ he asked himself.

Logan folded his hands together and tried to recall that evening. He remembered finding Max unconscious among a group of men. The police had chalked up the incident as 'unusual transgenic aggression' and set it aside, but Logan knew better. He had attempted to interview everyone who was involved in Max's attack, but all remained tight lipped. Silvio had advised them that the media would twist their story to make the transgenics heroes and it was best they kept their mouths shut. Time being what they were; their rooms were not equipped with a television and they happened to miss Eyes Only's broadcast exposing Silvio. In addition, as important as Silvio's case was to Logan, there were always new dirtbags to expose to the world. Eyes Only continued to make broadcast after broadcast, while Silvio's case soon left the public's attention.

Logan tried to question them again but, as it happened, Max's assailants had all been released and moved on with their lives. He had tried to track them down, but they had faded into obscurity. Even though Logan had witnessed the scene himself, he was too wrapped up in Max's condition to pay much attention to the perpetrators. He scowled, wishing he remembered them, wishing he knew how to solve the case. Logan scratched his now long and bushy stubble and rubbed his tired eyes. He wheeled over to the refrigerator and scowled when he eyed the empty contents. He had forgotten to go shopping again.

He fixed on his exoskeleton, grabbed his coat, and headed for the street market. Logan came upon a fruit stand suddenly grew nostalgic. He recalled how Max used to bring him back food from the market; a grapefruit, a chicken. It was always a sign of her affection for him, which she kept hidden for so long. In their brief days as a couple, she would delight in picking out fruit, squeezing them between her fingers, and bragging about how she never where to find the ripest ones. He held an orange as he stared, lost in his memories.

A gruff voice broke his reveries. "Hey man, you gonna buy that fruit or just fondle it all day?"

Logan looked up and took notice of the vendor in front of him. Half dazed, he handed him a few crumpled bills. He paused a moment… there was something very familiar about the vendor. As he handed him his change, Logan suddenly remember why the vendor was so familiar.

"You- you were one of them," he stated, his eyes narrowing menacingly.

"One of who?" the vendor grunted, annoyed.

"How do you live with yourself? Attacking an innocent woman in the middle of the night?" he asked coldly, through his teeth.

The vendor's customers stared at him surprise. He scowled and pulled Logan away by the arm. "Look, buddy, I don't appreciate you driving away my business. The girl? Well, she got what was coming to her, alright?"

"You don't even know what you did, do you? She was just trying to keep the streets safe from scum like you. Now she's fighting for life. So just tell me what the hell you think she did to deserve that you son of a bitch?" he spat, trying to keep control.

The vendor's face darkened with rage and he moved forward angrily. "You want to know what the bitch did? Alright, I'll tell you. That bitch stole the bread from my family's mouths. She put us all into debt. He was trying to help us out, but she put a stop to all that. She got what she deserved." Satisfied with his speech, the vendor turned back toward his stand.

"Wait, wait a minute! Who was trying to help you?"

"Silvio. Silvio was trying to help us."

Logan felt a lump form in his throat. Losing all control, Logan grabbed the vendor by the collar. "Silvio is a corrupt debt collector. He was planning to steal everything you had. Max was trying to stop him. She was trying to help you all and you did this to her," he spat. He released the perplexed vendor and made his way to the hospital, one thought looming prominently in his mind. This was all his fault…

Trying not to break down, Logan stared at Max, still hooked up to various machines. He forced a weak smile and sat next to her. After a long pause, he began to speak, "You know, I've been through this before. With my parents. I'll admit I was your average spoiled kid; women, wine, the good life. I guess that wouldn't surprise you," he chuckled slightly. "But that all changed one day. After the Pulse, my parents offered up our homes to people who couldn't afford to live anywhere else.

"There was this one girl… Amy. She was so scared, so demure… all the signs of an abused girl. She couldn't have been more than 12 or 13 years old. She had some people after her. There were trying to sell her into prosti- well that was the conclusion I came too. They never told me much. I was always too busy… having a good time. Getting married. My parents did everything they could to help her, but they found her. The men, whoever they were… they killed her. Killed my parents. They were just trying to do the right thing. I've never forgiven myself for that. I wish I'd helped. I wish I had been there. I was so naïve," he held back tears and paused contemplatively.

"I started up Eyes Only not too long after that. In her memory… and in theirs." He gazed at Max and delicately moved a strand of hair from her face.

"I love you, Max. I've loved you for so long. That night I watched you die? I feel like… like you're slipping away from me again. This is my fault. I got you involved with Eyes Only. I got you into this. You don't deserve this kind of life. I'm sorry Max. If you ever come out of this I'll make it up to you. I promise… I'll make it up to you…"

That same evening, Original Cindy and Sketchy were sitting back at Crash after a long day. Original Cindy spied Alec over at the bar and excused herself from the table. She leaned against the bar and stared over at her friend, who seemed absorbed in his drink. "Sketchy and I are going to visit Max again tomorrow. You should come," she said, more as a command than a suggestion.

Sketchy stared into his drink and then at Original Cindy. "That's alright. I got a lot to do: running Terminal City and all, takin' up all the flack for the messiah," he quipped sarcastically.

"And yet you still have enough time to drink and hit on all the booty that comes your way," she pointed out.

Alec slammed his drink down. "Look, Max is in a coma. She can't hear you, she can't hear me… so what's the point?"

"You need to get your sorry ass down there and deal with the situation. What is she never comes out of this? What if you're too late to say goodbye?"

"Max will come out of this. She's an X5. We're made to survival," Alec shrugged nonchalantly.

"Look suga, I know you got issues. You were the puppet of some evil-ass government agency. You got a lot of regrets, a lotta things that keep you awake at night. Don't let this be one of them." She walked away, leaving Alec to his drink. He sighed and stared into the wall for a moment. In one swift moment, he downed another drink, straighted his jacket, rose from his chair, and walked out of Crash. Original Cindy watched him go and smiled.

Alec peered into Max's room moment later. She sat alone; Logan had wandered into the hall, his head still in whirl. He stuck his hands in his pockets and walked up casually to her beside. He sighed and waved his hand.

"Hey I've been telling you, you need to just take a load off and relax," he started, uneasily. He scowled, realizing Max wasn't going to hit him over the head this time. "So, I've been running Terminal City. They're all pretty pissed about the whole thing. Haven't seen Joshua in a while…" he paused. "Look, I'm sorry I didn't visit. I know that whether you hate me or… don't, that you would have been here for me. And I'm sorry. But you know- you don't know what its like!" Alec cried, his anger rising. "You don't know what I went through with Rachel. You don't know how hard it was… and she went the same way you-"

He stopped mid-sentence, swallowing the grief that was threatening to consume him. "I loved her and they took her away from me. I never meant to feel that way again… but I do. And I blame you for that." At that moment, Logan returned and stopped abruptly as he saw Alec leaning toward Max. He stood silently in the doorway, watching the scene before him. "But I know you Max. Like it or not, you're built from the same stuff I am. You're hiding in there. You think that if you wake up you'll have to deal with it all over again: Manticore, persecution, all the shit we have to go through. You can't hide Max. You taught me that. Wake up! _Wake up!"_ he shouted and began rocking her bed violently.

"Alec! _Alec!_" Logan called out and wrenched him away. Alec stopped and jumped up from his seat, quickly rubbed his wet face with the sleeve of his jacket. He raced over to the opposite side of the room, away from Logan, and stared out the window. A long pause happened as Logan processed what happened. "Alec… how long have you been in love with Max?"

"I don't know," he murmured, avoiding his eyes.

Logan eyed Alec for a moment and breathed out. "…Do you think that's true? Do you think she should have come out by now?" he asked in a low voice.

"Maybe," he whispered.

Another thought entered Logan's head as he regarded the tortured man in front of him. "Max- does she… does she feel the same way about-"

Suddenly, Logan felt something brush against his dangling arm. He jumped in surprise, quickly recoiling his hand. Noticing Alec's wide eyed expression, he looked down at the bed below him. The realization of what had happened dawned upon Logan. He stooped down on the floor to meet Max at eye level. He grasped her small hand, which twitched in response to his touch. Alec raced on the opposite side of the bed to join him.

Her eyes fluttered open, uncertainly. She stared into Logan's blue eyes with confusion written in her expression. Her voice croaked out softly.

"Logan?"

"Hey…" he answered back, at a loss for words.

"Where the hell am I?" she asked. Logan and Alec shared a smile. Max was back.

Author's Note:

Alright I'll be upfront. I'm thinking of quitting this story. I don't get many comments on it and frankly I'm not that happy with the response to it. I had the idea of giving people the choice of which ship to choose, thought of a big story, but instead of following it, people got angry that there was any hint of any other romance. It seemed to me that the series could have possibly gone in the Max and Alec direction for a brief period and people would have still followed it (though, ultimately I think the show would have ended the show with Max and Logan… as I would have done in one path if people gave it a chance).

I guess if the response is big enough I will continue, but I don't really want to spend hours writing chapters that no one reads/likes. I hate to be one of those people, but the fun has been sucked out of it. I'm sorry  If I don't get a big response (by big I only mean at least 3-4 comments), but you've been following and really want to know how it ends, I won't cheat you. I've had a plan all along for how this story was going to go and if you've been following it I can give you a description of what was going to happen. Sorry…


	5. Chapter 5: Flight

Chapter 5: Flight

Summary: Max, Alec, Logan, and the Jam Pony staff deals with the aftermath of Max's coma.

Author's Note: Hey everyone, thanks for the encouragement! It made me very happy.  I'm going to finish off the story with no further delays (well, except maybe homework and that sort of thing). MA and ML abound. I'm not exactly sure how comas work, but I'll try to be as accurate as possible for you.

**2 weeks later…**

Max straddled her bike unsteadily as she pedaled back to Jam Pony. Her muscles were still sore from disuse and winced in pain as she rode. She couldn't believe that she had been unconscious for almost three months. Inside she felt a whole mix of emotions; anger, sadness, even a bit of apprehension. She didn't let her friends know what she felt though. She figured that they had been through a lot and it was best if they all got on with their lives as they used to be. They had all encouraged her to rest and relax before coming back to work and the duties as leader of Terminal City. She insisted that she had rested enough and added that being in a hospital still gave her grim memories of Manticore. She threw herself back into her work, dismissing their concerns.

Original Cindy, Sketchy, and Alec had proudly showed her the gifts and letters of support left by fellow transgenics and fans of the transgenic movement. There were letters, poems, flowers, and stuffed toys littered all over her apartment. She had been told that no one knew who the culprits were that night and the police were still 'exploring every lead.' Max scowled… somehow she doubted that was true. Shaking her head of all negative thoughts, she gingerly rubbed her legs and put on a pleasant face before entering her Jam Pony.

"Hello my peeps," Max declared as she walked up to the dispatch center and flung the signed slip toward Normal. He nodded and shooed her away. She returned to her locker and started playing with the lock.

Original Cindy and Sketchy appeared behind her locker. "Hey Boo, me and this fool are headin' over to Crash in a couple minutes, wanna join?"

"Beer's on you this time," Sketchy reminded her. Cindy jabbed him lightly in the ribs.

"Yea sure, gimmie a few. I'll meet ya there."

"Coo, don't be late this time," she warned. "Oh and Boo?"

"Yea?"

"Good to see you up and around." Max smiled a little at her comment as she watched her leave. Cindy had followed her lead about the whole incident and kept things as they were. Still, she would always remember to stick in a few offhanded comments or remarks here and there about how she was grateful Max was alive. Sighing, she popped her locker open and began rummaging through for her backpack. She snatched it and snapped the locker shut, only to see Alec appear behind the door. She jumped a little, his appearance catching her off guard.

"Alec, what the hell?" she snapped, a bit more moody than she expected it to come out.

Alec frowned a little, put off by her harsh tone. He took a deep breath and leaned his elbow on her locker unrelentingly. "Max, we need to talk."

Max unzipped her backpack and searched inside for her cherry lip balm, avoiding his intense gaze. She knew what he wanted to talk about and she wasn't quite ready to breach the subject. In her head she had filed her feelings for Alec away with all the other tensions and anxieties she didn't want to explore. She knew it was unfair to both of them, but it was how she knew how to deal. Searching for an exit, Max pretended to be ignorant of Alec's request. "Yea, Terminal City… well they've relaxed some of those ridiculous policies. Business seems to be pretty good. You actually did a decent job with it, give or take a few missing-"

"Not about that," he interrupted testily. "We need to talk about what happened."

Max scowled, displeased that Alec wasn't allowing her to live in her happy bubble of denial. She quickly zipped up her bag, slung it over her shoulder, and made her way to the Jam Pony exit. "I told you I'm fine," she snapped. Other messengers nearby took note of her tone and gazed up from their lazy conversations. Sketchy and Original Cindy sat up and took notice from the back of the room. She could feel their eyes and kept her pace. Alec snatched her arm insistently.

"No, you're not."

She tugged her arm away from him violently. "You think you've got me figured out just because you're a fellow Manticore alum? This is nothing, Alec. A couple of months out of commission is nothing. I had a heart transplant, remember? Just let it go."

Jam Pony stood silent for a moment. Normal coughed nervously from the dispatch desk, adjusted his glasses, and handed Alec a package. "Hot run, sector nine," he muttered.

Alec took the package and sighed. He couldn't really force Max to discuss what had happened to her. Besides, he knew he was in no place to judge how to deal with emotions. Hadn't he brushed her off when he was dealing with Rachel's death a few months ago? As he turned toward the exit, he could feel Max's eyes bore into him intensely.

She turned to Normal and said in a deep voice, "How could I don't get any packages to sector nine? Or any other high rise district? You think I can't handle it anymore?" Normal stepped backwards nervously and threw up his hands.

"Hey calm down, Missy Miss! Golden Boy here said to go easier on you."

Max narrowed her gaze and snatched Alec's arm. Before she could unleash her angry at him, her cell rang. Alec sighed in relief as Max snapped open her phone and released his arm.

"Go for Max."

She could hear the transhuman Luke on the other end. "Hey, Max. How's it goin'?" he asked.

"Wonderful. What do you have for me?"

"Look Max, we found a lead to all these transgenic disappearances. We got a voicemail from Sandeman. It was cutting in and out… took us a while to decipher it, but he said that the transgenics are trying to find some kind of promise land that doesn't exist."

"Promise land?"

"Yea, we think the other transgenics… maybe Joshua too, they've sort of banded together. Formed their own little group away from the rest of us."

"Where'd they go?"

"Well see, we haven't actually figured out that part yet. Sandeman said they, well, they just couldn't deal anymore. I-I'm sorry Max. I know that-"

Before Luke could finish his train of thought, Max flung her cell phone into the wall; smashing it to pieces. She breathed heavily, her eyes burning. She looked up and saw the anxious eyes of her fellow workers at Jam Pony staring in her direction. Avoiding their gaze, Max dashed wordlessly out of the building. Alec watched her leave and ran in her direction.

He soon lost sight of her and skidded to stop. Focused his finely tuned Manticore senses, he heard soft shallow breathing and walked toward the nearby alley. Max's back was to him, her hand on the wall, but he could see her chest move up and down. He walked up to her quietly and put his hand on her shoulder. "You okay, Max?"

Max shoved his hand away. "No… no, I'm not okay. You know I've been busting my ass… I've risked everything for them! And just like that, they up and leave. All we went through; the siege, the trial, for what Alec? For what?" She quickly wiped off her tears as quickly as they flowed down.

"So a few transgenics have lost their way; they'll go slogging around the sewers for a while, find out it's a scam, and come back to the comforts and amenities of good ole' Terminal City. Alright? Let's just forget about this whole thing and relax. I think we had a wager going for the last game at Crash?" he prodded, holding her by the arm.

"Look Alec, I know you've done a lot for Terminal City. I just-I just don't know how much I can take," she admitted in a small voice, looking to the ground in defeat.

"Please, don't do this Max," he pleaded. Max looked into his eyes and put her hand on his cheek. Wordlessly she sighed, snatched her motorcycle, and took off into the night.

Max rode around the streets for a few minutes and soon found herself heading toward Logan's apartment. She gazed at Foggle Towers uncertainly for a moment, then resolutely entered the building. Grasping her bike under one arm, she rode the elevator up to his penthouse and made her way to Logan's apartment. She opened the door without knocking and strode right in. "Logan!" she called.

She instinctively walked to the computer room, only to see it was completely empty. Boxes upon boxes were strewn across the room, but no computers, no monitors, no wires, no outlets, no cameras. She furrowed her brow in confusion as she looked around the room for any equipment that might be lying around. "In here Max!" she heard from the living room.

Logan sat in the room, struggling with tape and a cardboard box. "Hey," she called.

"Hey, Max," he answered, keeping his gaze on the box.

"Any reason all the computer equipment is in boxes? You… goin' somewhere?" she asked, thumbing at the adjacent room.

"That all depends," he answered cryptically.

"Alright," she walked behind Logan, watching him tape up the box amusedly. "By somewhere you mean eBay or…?"

"Maybe. It's all gone, Max," he stated pleasantly as he tossed the sealed box up and down in his hands.

"All of your… but what about Eyes Only?"

"Eyes Only is gone, Max. It's done," he stated simply.

Max had to take a minute to process this information. "Done? Logan, Eyes Only is your life. You can't be serious."

"I'm serious. No more broadcasts, no more contacts, no more," he stared off in the distance as he spoke. Then sighed and plopped himself on the couch nearby.

"Well, why? Has Eyes Only been made again? Cuz' Luke can get you some new tracking-"

"It's not about that, Max. I'm giving up Eyes Only because… I don't really believe in it anymore."

"Don't belie- so you just want to let those scumbags get away with everything, is that it? Fight the power, protect the downtrodden… you don't believe in that anymore?" she asked incredulously.

"I believe that Max. I've always believed that," Logan insisted and reached for some more packing tape. He paused a moment before continuing. "Look Max, there's something I never told you. About the day you were attacked."

"You know who did it," she said without hesitation. "Was it the anti transgenic groups? Familiars?"

"It was neither," he said, wrenching the piece of tape from its holder. "Remember the mission I sent you on? The debt collector?"

"Yea, Silvio: dirt bag who made the financially challenged do his dirty work in return for paying off their debts to him."

"Glad to see your memory's still intact."

"Details are still a little fuzzy," she admitted.

"It was his clients who jumped you. They were the ones."

"His clients? But… they were the guys I was helping. I don't get it, I was helping them. Why would they do that?" she asked, gripped the couch in anger.

"I don't know. They never caught the hack, they were told a different story; what does it matter now?" he asked in a tetchy voice. Max stared in confusion; thrown off by his tone. He sighed and sat down next to her. "Look Max, when I started up Eyes Only I was naïve. I figured that people were basically good; that they would fight against a corrupt world if I gave them a chance. I thought that if people were given a choice, that they would do the right thing. But now I realize I've been wrong all along."

He stood up and started pacing the room. "When I found out what happened; that that Silvio's men had tried to kill the one person who tried to help them, I realized something about human nature. In the blink of an eye, they became savages. They gave into their rage, their anger, their basest instincts. I realized these are the people I've been protecting. These are the people I risk my life for. Maybe the world doesn't need Eyes Only. Maybe they deserve the world they live in. I realized I didn't know what I was fighting for anymore."

Max's breath caught in her throat. "I know the feeling."

Logan looked at her questioningly. Max stood and also started to pace. "Some of the transgenics left Terminal City."

"Why?"

"They… they've had it. All this is just too hard for them. They're off trying to find some promise land that doesn't exist. You know, when I made a stand at Terminal City, when I started fighting, it wasn't easy. I'm not exactly a born leader. But, I wanted to stop running, to stop being afraid. I wanted the world to see that we were good and decent people; that they shouldn't judge us just because we have a barcode in the back of our necks. I figured that was a cause worth fighting for… even dying for. Now everyone's up and left on me. All I've done, all I've fought for, hasn't meant anything." She paused and looked at Logan with big, glassy eyes. ""Logan, even Joshua left me. Even he left me," she choked out.

Shocked at what he was hearing, Logan pulled her into hug; Max gripped his shirt tightly as tears began escaping her eyes. "Max, I'm sorry. Why didn't you tell me about this earlier?"

"I didn't know what was happening till' just this afternoon," she pulled away. "Why didn't _you_ tell me?"

Logan turned his back to her. "This whole thing was my fault, Max."

"Yea, cuz you decided you round up a couple of thugs to attack me," she rolled her eyes.

"No, but I recruited you. I filled your head with all these ridiculous ideologies that I thought were true. I fed you all those lines about getting involved, about making the world a better place," he spat sardonically. "I've put you in danger for years, Max. I've willing put you in danger for years; the woman I love."

Max knitted her brow in confusion and walked in front to face him. "Logan, I chose to go on those missions. And I did them, bribe or no bribe… at least later on."

"I know, Max. You're an amazing woman. You've always been. And you've risked so much; for your family, for the transgenics, for stranger, for me."

"And you have too," she added.

"You're right. And maybe, just maybe, it's time to think of our own happiness for a change," he explained, grasping her hand with a glint of excitement in his eyes.

"Logan, what are you saying?"

"We'll go somewhere where they can't find us. Just us. We still have our whole lives ahead of us, Max. Suddenly we have possibilities, freedom, a future."

Max looked at him in disbelief. "Logan, have you lost it? You're not serious?"

"I've never been more serious in my life," he smiled. With that, Logan pulled out the velvet box from his coat pocket and fell to his knee. He opened the box to reveal a shimmering diamond ring.

"Max, will you marry me?"

Author's Note: Don't hate me Max/Alec shippers! Their time will come! And ML shippers, stay tuned! I will likely make the first ending MA, since they seem to be the majority fans of the story. The ML one will come afterwards, but it will be big when it finishes. Either way, I will **not **make a 'bad/evil' Logan or Alec. It's not how I roll.

Oh yea and I didn't mean for this fic to be so late. Actually I wrote it out a while ago, but I had to double check to make sure the characters sounded like themselves. I hope that they do! No worries, I will make sure that you're not left with the humongous cliffhanger for too long. If I am, just message me (reply on the site) to get me moving.


	6. Chapter 6: The Breakup

Chapter 6: The Breakup

Author's Note: Diehard Max and Logan shippers should probably skip this chapter. This was supposed to be the Max/Alec ending but instead I'm splitting it up. This is the chapter before the last! I'm sorry it took so long. I've been working on it for a while trying to figure it out, exams caught up with me, blah blah. But anyway, I have lots of free time and I plan to finish up the Max/Alec ending this weekend. Max/Logan fans? Your chapter(s) will come by shortly.  Stay tuned!

Max stared at Logan in shock at he knelt before her. A millions thoughts filled her head at once. _Oh God, he's asking me to marry him. I'm not the type of girl whose naïve enough to believe in all this fluffy happily ever after crap, but here it is. Should I say yes? What are you talking about, Max? You love Logan, don't you? _

Logan searched Max's eyes, looking for any kind of confirmation. _Why was she hesitating?_ Sighing dejectedly, he snapped the jewelry box shut. "Look Max, if you're not sure about this, I don't want to force-"

Max grabbed his arm in alarm. This was the kind of life she wanted. This was the kind of life she deserved. "No, Logan. Wait… yes. My answer is yes."

Logan rose from the floor, a huge smile planted on his face. He held Max's head in his hands and pulled her in for a gentle kiss. He grasped the ring and slipped it onto her finger. She admired its beauty and studied it; her cat burglary skills still not lost. Logan cleared his throat, interrupting her momentary fascination.

"Great, we'll leave tonight then." He eagerly grasped one of his suitcases and began walking to the door.

"Logan," she stopped him, putting her hand on his chest.

"Yea, Max?" Logan felt a lump form in his throat as he saw a glimpse of uncertainty in her eyes.

"I… need to pack," she smiled.

"Right… pack. Of course. You-you should pack."

"I gotta say 'bye too. Meet you back here in an hour?"

"Great."

"… Great. Later."

Logan watched his fiancée close the door behind her and smiled again.

Max clutched her suitcase tightly as she gazed into Crash. She wasn't sure why she was feeling so apprehensive. Maybe she should call Logan and call it off. Something didn't feel right… She turned around and began walking away from Crash. She absently brushed her hand on the brick wall, noting a barely perceptible red splotch. She stopped dead in her tracks: she was in the alley. And not just any alley… _the_ alley. The splotch was dried blood. Her blood.

Suddenly, the events of the fight came crashing back down on her. She remembered how she was attacked so viciously and without hesitation. She recalled how three months were taken away from her, all because of her good deed. Max turned her attention back to the red splotch, fingering the spot delicately. As she traced it, a sparkle caught her eye. Her diamond ring shone in the darkness of the night. She clutched the ring, smiled slightly, and walked back to Crash.

She found Original Cindy and Alec playing a rousing game of foosball. She stared and watched the two from behind a nearby pool table before approaching. Judging from the look on their faces, they were not only into the game, they were also deep in conversation. Her advanced hearing caught snippets of the conversation through the general noise and laughter of the bar.

"Suga's just goin' through a rough time, Boo," Original Cindy explained.

"Yea, but I'm worried about her. I know she thinks I'm this obnoxious guy who just complicates her life-"

"Don't even go there, Boo."

"But anyway, I just get her, y'know? And it's not just because of Manticore. It's… deeper."

Alec's words made Max shift uncomfortably from her vantage point. Maybe he was right. Maybe she felt the same way about him. Did she just kiss him that night or was it deeper? Max fumbled with her briefcase. No, she was going to leave. She had already made this decision. Nothing and no one could change her opinion now. She eased over to her friends, feigning ignorance about their recent topic of conversation.

"Hey, guys. I get the next game," she smiled, slyly.

"Max, care to humiliate your old pal Alec?" he smirked. His face disintegrated into a frown when he glanced pointedly at her suitcase. Original Cindy followed his eyes and took note of the object clutching in Max's hand.

"Going somewhere, Boo?" she asked, attempting to nonchalantly cover up her disappointment.

Max sensed the tension between them and tried to shrug innocently. "Well, yea. For now. Feel like I need to lay low for a couple of days." Alec raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. O.C. rolled her eyes and tugged Max away from Alec by the sleeve.

"C'mere Boo," she insisted. Alec stared in their direction, but Cindy's expression told him that they needed their privacy. He shifted his gaze to the foosball, eyeing the table like a keen military strategist (which he was, of sorts). Original Cindy's expression grew darker. "You're going away again, aren't you?"

Max stared her in the eye and said nothing.

O.C. took a breath. "Hope you're not running away from your problems like you did before."

"It's not like that. It's different now. Everything's different."

"So you are running away," she said in a slightly accusatory tone.

Max became flustered. "Look, I'm not running away from anything. Look around Cindy, there's nothing here worth fighting for. I've given all I've got. Now I've got the chance for something better."

"You can say that again," Alec chimed in from behind. Original Cindy shot him a look, but he appeared preoccupied. He was staring, fixating on the ring on Max's finger. "Now I know what sunk the Titanic. How much did that run Logan? Damn."

Original Cindy's face brightened. "That's an engagement ring, Boo?" She nodded. "When did he…"

"Not too long ago. I wanted to tell you guys but-" she hesitated, looking anxiously into Alec's eyes. He stared into hers, trying to find his wordsAlec's head was a whirl;_ this was your fault. You didn't do anything about it. You let her slip through your fingers and now you'll never know. _

But when Alec found his voice all he could say was, "Y'know, it's too bad we'll never get to see that cute little church wedding. Would've been interesting to see you wear white."

Max slugged him in the arm, as she smiled with relief.

"Congratulations Boo," O.C. declared, giving back a tight hug. "I hope you're happy, wherever you go."

She smiled back sincerely. "Thanks, me too."

Alec gulped. It was his turn to congratulate her now, but when he opened his mouth nothing came. He felt anger, jealousy, depression, everything but happy for her. It was his way to fake it and pretend everything was fine. But he couldn't even do that anymore. "You better go. He's probably waiting." Max looked at him quizzically, but nodded. She stared at Alec for a long moment, then turned and headed for the door. There was one more thing she had to do….

Max stared at the city lights of Seattle for the last time atop the Space Needle. Her mind was still an array of fears and doubts as she stared at the people below. She was actually going to miss this city despite everything. She smiled, giving the cold metal of the needle a quick pat, and turned around to leave. She was surprised to see Alec blocking her path.

"Alec… what are you doing here?" she asked, a slight tone of irritation in her voice.

"Don't do this Max."

"You're too late, Alec. I'm done with this. I'm done with everything."

"And what about Terminal City, huh? Who's going to run that when you're gone?"

"You think I wanted it to end this way? Terminal City doesn't want me, okay? They don't want to live in society; they don't want to be accepted. They'll just create their own basement without me."

"Maybe some of them do, but others have died fighting for this cause and you know that! They still need you right now… _I_ need you." At that, Alec grabbed her arms roughly and kissed her on the lips. Max tried to resist, but soon found herself giving in with an even greater force. She pulled away, perplexed but slightly euphoric.

"Max, I love you. I always thought it was… amazing how you helped everyone from Manticore, strangers, anyone who needed your help. You were the antithesis of Manticore and I loved that about you." He played with her hair lovingly. Max felt herself smile at his words and his touch. He returned the smile and shrugged. "Not that you've ever been perfect. You're bossy, you're rude, you're bullheaded… never figured you for a coward though."

Angry, Max tried to pull away. "I'm _not_ a coward. If you want to die fighting for a cause no one believes in, then be my guest. But if you get shot up, don't come crying to me," she sneered coldly. Alec released her arm violently. As he watched her retreat, her short hair blew in the wind revealing the ever so conspicuous tattoo on her neck.

"Hey, Max… you may want to cover up that barcode," he called after her. Max winced at his remark. That one stung.

An hour later, Max stood in line at the terminal with Logan. Max fidgeted anxiously as she clutched his suitcase and glanced at her watch. Her actions did not go unnoticed by Logan.

"You alright?"

"Yeah. I'm fine."

"Look Max, if you wanna back out of this…"

"I said I'm _fine_," she retorted, testily. She sighed. "It's something Alec said-"

"Alec…"

"It's about that haven the other transgenics ran off to… Alec says there's something off about it. Can't help shake the feeling he's right somehow." Logan regarded Max and bit his lip. "I mean, if I had something to go by I could-"

"Let it go, Max. I thought we were putting everything behind us," Logan said hastily.

"I know…" she agreed, scooting up the line slightly. "I keep thinkin' the whole thing is some kind of trap."

"I'm sure they'll be just fine. They're where they want to be. Among themselves, along the fresh mountain air… I'm sure they'll be fine," he repeated and quickly turned away.

"What did you just say?" Max said, her voice dropping slightly.

"Nothing I just-"

"'Fresh mountain air'… how did you know that Logan?"

Logan sighed. "Look, I did a background check on this 'transgenic sanctuary' after you left. To see what I could dig up."

"And?"

"I got Dix to trace the call back from Sandeman. It came from somewhere in Montana. That's all I got." Max studied Logan's eyes. Logan began shuffling through his baggage. "Look, it's almost time to show I.D."

"Why do I think that's only part of the story? Logan!"

"Look Dix wanted me to pass on a message to you. The voicemail Sandeman left had some kind of message, no one in Terminal City understood. He said 'The Committee is exploring other options. I hope you get this before it's too late.'"

"Other options? Oh my God."

"You know what it means?"

"Lydecker always said 'a good solider never goes in with only plan A, always have a B and a C ready.' This location the transgenics went to might have some connection to Manticore."

"But we defeated Manticore, Max. We took it down."

"No… when I was there, Renfro said that exposing Manticore would jeopardize the Committee's other projects."

"What other projects?"

"I don't know, but I need to find out. Logan, how could you keep this from me?"

"Max, we… we were free. We were gonna leave all this behind and start our lives together. Do you have any idea how long I've waited for this? For us?" he pleaded, taking her hand.

"So you just thought whatever happened to my family was irrelevant?"

"Look, what if you're wrong? What if this place really is some kind of haven?"

"Logan, people aren't just going to help transgenics out of the goodness of their heart. I can't believe I didn't see this coming…" she cried, exasperated, as she turned to leave.

Logan grabbed her arm. "Max, don't do this. You don't know what you're walking into. You could get yourself killed."

"Wouldn't be the first time," she smirked as she tried to take off, but he tightened his grasp. "I have to go. You know I do." She jerked her arm and began to make a beeline for the exit.

"Max, wait! You almost died in my arms twice… I don't think I could handle it if it happened again," Logan pleaded. Max turned back, surprised at his words. She held his hands in hers, reassuringly.

"Logan, this is my life. That's how it's always going to be, even without Manticore or the Familiars."

"You know, somewhere I've always known that. I've just been denying it. One day you're going to go on some mission or try to help someone and when you die in my arms… it's going to be for real."

"What are you saying?"

Logan turned around and sighed. "You know, in the beginning it was about the missions and Eyes Only. Every time I sent you out, I would just hope you'd make it back alive. The longer we were together, the more I started to think the missions were selfish. I didn't have the right to gamble with your life. You may be transgenic, but you're not invincible. I knew asking you to leave with me was going to difficult, but I can't be with you like this. I can't sit around waiting for the one mission you don't come back from."

"Logan, you can't ask me to make that kind of decision."

"I… I think I am, Max."

Max sighed, trying to hold back the tears welling in her eyes. "This is my family. They're always gonna be no matter what. If you can't accept that, then I don't think I can do this…" Max grasped her finger and pulled off her ring. She gently placed it in Logan's hand. "I'm sorry Logan. I have to go."

A tear fell down Logan's face as he watched her disappear into the crowds…

Author's Note: Okay, please tell me you at least sort of believed the break-up. That's the reason I took so long to finish this chapter. Of course, this is the Max/Alec version of the story, but I wanted to break them up without anyone hating Max or Logan for it. Please tell me if I've succeeded! And Max/Alec fans, your version concludes this weekend with a happy ending of course.


	7. Chapter 7: Peas in a Pod

Chapter 7: Peas in a Pod

Author's Note: Sorry this was not posted by the weekend. I've been a wee busy with job apps and such. Anyway, here is the end of the story. I hope you'll enjoy it, especially all of you die-hard Max/Alec shippers!

Max dashed off to Terminal City on her Ninja, tears streaming down her cheeks, the wind whipping her hair and tickling her barcode. As she reached the city limits, she wiped her tears with the back of her hand and entered with an attempted air of confidence. She sprinted up to the control room where she found Dix hard at work. He pulled out his earpiece and looked at her in surprise. "Max… what are you doing here?"

"Someone tipped me that this haven the transgenics are running off to is a big sham run by Manticore."

"Yea, well you're a bit late figuring it out. We've already got a group on it."

"Really? A group? Who's leading it?"

"Alec."

Max smiled slightly to herself, impressed by Alec's conviction. "Yea and he's gonna need back-up. I want every able bodied transgenic on this thing."

Dix scratched his crooked head in confusion. "But Max- what about the betrayal? You said yourself, they ran away from everything."

"Maybe. But they're family. I know an airfield not too far from here… long story. I'm going to need some pilots though."

"I'll help," a young transgenic piped up from the crowd. Max's heart jumped into her throat, the recent death of another eager transgenic playing before her eyes. She eyed him for a moment.

"You know the risks?"

"Yes ma'am," he shouted, a slight tremor in his voice.

"Me too."

"Me too."

Max looked around to see a large crowd of transgenics, from younger and older series; some seemingly perfect on the outside, others not quite imperfect. They all stood at attention, beaming with admiration for their leader. Max swelled with pride and she watched the brave soldiers conglomerate in front of her.

"I knew you wouldn't abandon us, Max," he declared, triumphantly.

She smirked, feeling awkward about being put on a pedestal. "Fall out, guys," she ordered.

Hours later, the group reached their destination; guided by the directions of the eager transgenic at the control panel. The facility was buried deep in the mountains and it was difficult for Max's unit to keep the lines of communication open. When they reached the building they saw that security seemed pretty lax. No guards were posted at the door and the cameras already appeared to be tampered with.

"That's good. They must not have expected us," an X6 said, happily.

"More like Alec and the others have been compromised," Max scowled. "Let's hurry up."

The troop marched into the facility, guns in tow. "Let's split up. We'll cover more ground. We need to find the control panel and get the disks. Without them, they can never do this again. We also need to figure out where their holding the other transgenics. First team to find the others, radio in," she instructed, pointing to the intercom on her ear. This was all too familiar for her and she couldn't help feeling nervous, despite the fact she was now the leader.

Max and her group began slinking down the hallways. The new facility had the same sterile feel of Manticore, minus the painful memories. She guessed it might have been a former mental institution. Her group started opening the doors, searching for the presence of any soldiers. It was oddly deserted, save for the bundles of medical equipment lying conspicuously on the tables. Max heard a crackle and held the com to her ear.

"Max, we found the others. They're surrounded by a big group of guards," a young voice spoke in her ear with a slight tremble.

"Alright look, hang back and wait for the rest of us. Don't do this on your own," she ordered.

"But Max they-"

"If you attack, they'll capture the rest of you. Do what I tell you. Now where are you?"

"About 3 clicks from your position."

"Alright guys, follow my lead. We're moving in," she told her group. They nodded and followed her. By the time her group approached the other soldiers, a second group had already joined them.

The eager transgenic on the com now spoke to her in person. "Now can we go in?"

"Let's do this," she smiled.

The group advanced on the guards holding Alec and other transgenics captive. They began disabling the others with some well placed kicks and blows. The X6s and X5s were well trained and now vastly outnumbered the surprised guards. They were able to over take them in record time. Max kicked one of the guards into the wall and watched out for the others mounting the attack. Suddenly, she caught sight of Joshua. He looked a bit gaunt and battered. As angry as she was with him, at that moment she was really glad to see him alive.

"Joshua!" she cried, advancing toward the dogboy excitedly. She was so excited, in fact, that she did not notice the soldier aiming straight for her back. Alec did. Without thinking, he raced over just in time to shove Max out of the way… and caught the bullet straight into his chest.

_"Alec!"_ Max shouted in shock. She kicked the offending soldier in the chest, knocking him to the ground. Then she dashed over to Alec's side. "Alec, are you okay?"

The soldier struggled to his feet and aimed at Max again, but Joshua was too fast for him. He picked him up by the collar, growled menacingly in his face, and threw him across the room. He smashed into the shelves behind him, the force of his fall splintering the wood, and then he lay still. Joshua hovered over to Alec, his face knitted in concern.

"Alec… is he-is he okay Max?"

"Joshua, you need to find me a knife, okay? Please." Joshua nodded and took off down the hallway.

Max held Alec gingerly, her fingers soaked in his blood. The world stopped around her, even as the others defeated the guards around them. She faced Alec and tried to cover up how deep the chest wound appeared to be. "And to think last year you almost killed me," she joked awkwardly, recalling the time Alec almost killed her to protect himself from White.

"And I thought today would be the perfect day to return to the favor," he smirked, and then winced noticeably in pain.

Max didn't respond to his attempt at humor and instead scowled in concern.

"Max… I know… I know we can't be together," he gasped.

"Alec…"

"Let me finish," he insisted. "I know we can't be together. And maybe you'll never think of me the same way I think you… but no matter what happens I just want you to know that I love you. I just wanted to tell you, in case I never got the chance…"

At that moment, Joshua came bounding in a small knife clutched in his giant hand. Max looked up at him and then at Alec. "You may have a better chance than you think," she declared. With that, he gently tilted his head and pressed her lips against his.

Alec stared back stunned, while Max quickly fumbled with her jacket for a lighter. She grabbed the knife from Joshua and flamed the blade.

"Hang on!" she shouted, pressed the knife against Alec's chest, and then plunged it in. He shouted in pain and fought to regain consciousness. She concentrated on finding the bullet, careful not to nick an artery to cut too far to the right. Working quickly, she managed to catch the bullet and draw it out in a couple seconds. She grasped the bullet and admired her handiwork. Alec writhed in pain.

"You're lucky," she muttered as she tossed the bullet away.

Alec looked at her incredulously. "Lucky?"

"Yea… that bullet could have gone clear through your chest. That soldier was a poor shot," she smiled slightly and covered him with her jacket fearing he would go into shock. The rest of the unit along with Sandeman approached her with disks in their hands. The youngest volunteer for the mission spoke up first.

"Max, it's all done. We forced surrender from the guards, all the disks were taken, all the prisoners were freed. Everyone is present and accounted for."

"Good job, guys. Now I need you and the others to return to Terminal City, post haste."

He nodded, and then did a double take as he noticed Alec on the floor. Another female soldier spoke up, "Max is he going to be okay? Is there anything we can do?"

"No, that's okay. Look, I need everyone to get home. We'll be in trouble if they managed to call for back-up," she instructed

"We can handle them," a long haired soldier replied, clinging to his bulky gun.

"No un-necessary risks," Max insisted, her voice dropping in anger. "Now get home. I'll make sure nothing happens to Alec."

"I'm sure you won't," he responded, a knowing smile creeping across his face. Meeting Max's glare, he nodded and took off with the other X5s. Sandeman stayed his ground, beckoning Joshua. Max nodded in his direction.

"Joshua, you'd better go too," Sandeman advised.

"Joshua not going anywhere until Alec is safe," he argued. "You go, Father. They need me," he instructed.

"You're sure?" he asked.

Joshua nodded and Sandeman hurried to follow the others. Joshua scooped up Alec with both hands. He didn't stir. "Max, we need to find Alec a hospital."

"Well, Dix should be guiding the others home, but maybe… maybe there's another option." She flipped open her cell phone and dialed Logan. "Come on… come on…"

He finally picked up on the fifth ring. "Hello?"

"Logan."

"Max.'

"Logan… I need your help."

"Is everything okay? Did you get everyone out?"

"Yeah, everything's taken care of. It's Alec. Logan, Alec was shot. I'm gonna need to find him a hospital."

Logan sucked in his breath, feeling reluctant about helping her. He knew she and Alec had a connection… he realized it even before she 'pretended' to be with him. He also knew that if he helped Max keep Alec alive than she would be lost to him forever. _You did this, _he reminded himself._ You let her go. Right now it's Alec that needs help, but one day it will be her and there will be nothing you can do about. _

"Logan…" she pleaded.

_You need to let her go Logan. This was your choice. Even if you'll never be with her, don't you want her to be happy?_ Logan sighed and began rapidly typing on his keyboard. "Where are you now?"

Max sighed in relief. "Kalispell, Montana. 10 miles from Glacier Park International Airport."

"The closest hospital to you is Kalispell Regional Medical Center. That's a couple miles from where you are. I can guide you there."

"Got it. Thanks, Logan."

"No problem," Logan sighed, pressing the phone against his head.

A few hours later, Alec's surgery was over. The doctor came out, wiping off his hands with a towel; with a satisfied look on his face. Max and Joshua approached him anxiously.

"So… how'd it go?" Max inquired.

"A little early to tell actually, but the surgery went well," he explained, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "But I think he did alright. Just be patient…"

Joshua watched the doctor walk away and turned to Max. "See Lil' Fella? Alec's gonna be okay. We… we cool?" Max had hardly spoken a word to him since Alec was admitted and Joshua was hoping to break the ice.

Max crossed her arms and kept her back to him. "You know you really hurt me, Joshua."

He dropped his head, ashamed. "I know."

"No, you _don't_ know. You don't know how many people I lost trying to be free. But I kept trying… because I thought it was important. And just like that you and the others turn your back on everything we've fought for. You got us into this mess and Alec is in there because of _you_," she spat out angrily.

"Look Max, I'm sorry okay? But you-you look like that… and I look like this. People always see outside."

Her voice softened. "Joshua, that's not true. I've always seen inside. Me and Logan and Original Cindy… Alec… Sketchy…"

Joshua turned away. "Max… what if- what if inside is ugly too?"

"Joshua, what are you talking about?"

"Max… since Annie died, I-I'm angry. At everyone, everything."

"Look, I'm sorry about what happened to Annie… you know I am. But White killed Annie and he paid for what he did."

"Annie wouldn't have died if it weren't for me. If I weren't a _freak_," he choked out, his eyes brimming with tears.

"Joshua you can't blame yourself for everything that happens. I've blamed myself too… for what happened to the others who didn't make it out in the word, for my family…"

"How do you stop it from hurting?"

"You can't. That's life… for better or for worse."

"Life is pain? Safer… safer in basement. That's why I left."

"There is no more basement, Joshua. You're going to have to face life head on."

"How do you do that?" Joshua asked, lifting up his now tear soaked face.

She sighed and put her hand on his shoulder, "With the help of your family."

Joshua cracked a smile. "Joshua and Max, okay?"

Max nodded. "In time…"

He pulled her into a bear hug and sighed with relief. At that moment, a nurse exited Alec's room. "He's ready to see you now," she declared, grinning widely at a job well done. Max and Joshua nodded and entered Alec's room.  
"Alec!" Joshua cried as he bounded into the room.

"Joshie!" he smiled back. The giant dogboy pulled him into a tight hug in excitement. "Ooof! Hey, hey! Easy there big guy," Alec choked out in pain. Joshua let go and eased him back down.

"Hey," Max called, remaining at the end of the bedpost. "How you doing?"

"Ahhh, you know me. I'm always okay," he smirked, putting one hand over his bandaged chest.

"Look about what happened…" she began.

"No, hey… it's okay. It was a heat of the moment thing, I understand. I mean I know you and Logan are getting to take the-" he stopped mid-sentence, eying her hand. "Uhhh, where's the ring?"

"Joshua, can you give us a minute?" she asked. Joshua nodded, noting the tension in the room and went out into the hallway. She sighed and eased over to the foot of the bed, draping her legs over the side. "Alec, Logan and I… we're not getting married."

"Lemme guess, it wasn't the 'right moment'?" he rolled his eyes.

"It's not like that. The thing is… Logan and I are over."

"What? What happened? Don't tell me the virus is back again?"

"No, not that," she sighed and put her hand over his electrocardiogram. "It was this."

Alec gave her a perplexed look. "The future of today's modern medicine?" he cracked.

Max smiled slightly. Alec was never at a loss for words. "This life. My life… our life. Logan said he didn't want to wait for the day when I didn't make it out alive."

He nodded in understanding. "That's probably how the story ends. I'm sorry Max."

She smiled and looked down. "To tell you the truth, I'm not as sorry as I should be," she acknowledged. "I think… I think I love you too."

Alec broke out into a smile as his lips reached for hers. They shared a passionate kiss, Max holding Alec's battered body against hers. When they at last pulled away, Alec laid his head against the pillow with a euphoric look on his face.

"I've been waiting so long to hear you say that," he admitted. Max smiled again and lay down next to him.

"So what now?" she asked.

"We're living on borrowed time, Max. If Manticore, White, or the Familiars don't get to us, something else will. I don't know about you, but I don't want to spend any more of it without you."

"Me neither," she agreed, putting her head on his shoulder. "But we can't give up the fight. You're the one who taught me to hang on no matter what."

"I figured that might come back to bite me in the ass," he sighed.

Max pushed him gently and flipped over on her back. "I wish people could see who we really are."

Alec's face scrunched in concentration. "That's not a bad idea. What if we went on tour? Explored the country… speeches, rallies, hell even school assemblies."

"School assemblies? Transgenics would be an odd thing to bring for show and tell," she joked.

Alec chuckled. "Yeah maybe it's a dumb idea…"

"No," she insisted, putting on arm across the other side of Alec so she was facing him directly. "It's a great idea."

"Yeah?" he smiled, pulling her down next to him. "I'd think about it all the time in Manticore. I thought 'if I ever got outta of this place, I'm gonna tour the world. See it all.'"

"Guess you just needed the right girl to blow it up for you."

He looked her straight into the eye. "You sure you know what you're getting yourself into?"

"Yeah, and I think I can handle it," she smiled, pulling him into another kiss.

Alec smiled and began kissing her barcode. "Me too…"

A few weeks later, Alec felt strong enough to leave the hospital. Max and Alec got their affairs together before their trip, explaining their strategy to the members of Terminal City. She promised she would only be gone for few months or so and they would give the residents status as they traveled from state to state. When all members were in agreement, Max appointed a new leader of the Terminal City in her absence.

"You sure little Fella?" Joshua asked.

"Of course I am Big Fella," she smiled.

"I won't let you down, Max," he promised.

"I know you won't," she nodded. "I better go."

"Good luck Little Fella," he smiled, pulling her into a hug. Max returned the hug, knowing full well that Joshua's good wishes weren't only for her whirlwind trip across the U.S. Alec gave Joshua a hug and tugged at the zipper of his bag.

"Are we ready Max?" he asked.

"Not quite… there's one more thing I gotta do."

Alec nodded, knowing full well what that was. They sped off to Fogel Towers on his motorcycle. Max and Logan had kept in touch. She had told him of her new relationship with Alec. He insisted he understood, but their conversation had been strained for a while. Now at last they had reached a middle ground. Logan had come to grips with his decision and he knew he made it for a reason, despite his misgivings about seeing the two transgenics together. Now Max and Alec stood side by side at his door for the first time.

"Come in…" Logan welcomed them. He made his way back to his computer and sat with his back to them.

"Working on Eyes Only stuff?" she asked, awkwardly.

"Yeah. You said the others might want to help too?"

"Yea… just let them know what they're up against. They're good soldiers, but they're gonna help out of their own free will now."

"I know…" There was an awkward pause. "So you're going to stay at Terminal City for a while?" he asked, nonchalantly, staring into his computer screen.

"Well, me and Alec are probably going to do some traveling. You know, spreading the word, fighting for the cause… blah, blah, blah, woof, woof," she laughed awkwardly. "Then we'll be back in Terminal City."

"There are a lot of people who still need you," he agreed, a cold tinge in his voice.

"You know I tried to get away, leave it all behind. Turns out I'll probably be fighting the rest of my life in spite of everything."

"Guess it's just the hand fate dealt you," he agreed, twirling in his chair to face her at last.

"Yea maybe … but you know I've always got your back."

"I know," Logan said softly, pulling her into a tight hug. He put his hands on her shoulders and noticed her pained expression. "Max… it really is okay."

"I'll miss you Logan, I can't even began to thank you for all you've done."

He smiled warmly at her. "You better go Max."

"Yea," she smiled back. "See you around, Logan."

Alec stood watching her go and prepared to join her. He was stopped by Logan's voice, "Take good care of her, alright?"

He smiled, looking back in her direction. "You know I will."

Logan stuck out his hand. "Good luck."

Alec shook it. "You're a good man, Logan."

He smiled. "Turns out you are too," he acknowledged.

"Yea… who da thunk it?" Alec shrugged, and scurried back to find Max.

She left the apartment, a lump in her throat and a melancholy expression on her face as she realized her relationship with Logan would never be the same again. Her heart skipped a beat as she caught sight of Alec hurrying to catch up with her. She couldn't stop herself from breaking in a grin as she watched the rogue X5: the passion she was feeling was undeniable… she wondered why she had fought it for so long.

"Hey Max," her greeted her warmly, snapping her out of her daze. Her lovelorn glances had not gone unnoticed.

"Hey," she returned a slight smirk on her face. "Got everything?"

"Yup!" he made his way to their motorcycle and shuffled through his backpack, presenting a few items to Max. "We've got some snacks, cell phones, pen, paper, files, a couple Mad Libs, a radar detector so no one can catch us breaking the sound barrier, aaaand some money in case we want to stop off at a motel somewhere," he winked.

"You're such a smart aleck," she rolled her eyes, stifling her laugh.

"And you wouldn't have it any other way," he declared, as they shared another kiss. "I suppose you're not going to let me drive?"

"Not in your life," she retorted, turning her key in the ignition and listening to the engine roar.

"So Max, any idea where we'll end up?" She could tell he was asking a more philosophical than geographic question.

Max looked over her shoulder and put on her sunglasses. "Nope, I'm just along for the ride."

Alec smiled and put his arms around her waist, "Me too."

With that, they drove off into the night…

**THE END**

Author's Note:

I decreased Sandeman's role in this one. I thought it was important that Joshua and Max get their moment without interference. He's still a part of their lives though. I didn't want Max to forgive him right away either. It was a betrayal no matter what…

By the way, don't kill me about the geography! I tried to pick the most western major Montana city (thank you Wikipedia!) and found a hospital there. But hey, if you can buy a trek from Gillette, Wyoming to Seattle, Washington you can buy my location, right? (I'm an East Coaster.)

So that's the end of my novel/series (the Max/Alec version). I thought it was an important story to tell: about not giving up when the fight is really tough. I'm sure many social activists have thought about quitting when no one seems to care. By the way, no matter which version you're following I always intended for Max to pick the harder route. I hope you enjoyed the story and that the Max/Alec romance was believable. Thanks for reading!  (PS- the Max/Logan version is coming up next!)


	8. Chapter 8: Change in Plans

Chapter 6A: A Change in Plans

Author's Note: This chapter will read similarly to the other chapter 6, except Max and Logan will ultimately come together in the end and Logan will play a larger role.

Max stared at Logan in shock at he knelt before her. A millions thoughts filled her head at once. _Oh God, he's asking me to marry him. I'm not the type of girl whose naïve enough to believe in all this fluffy happily ever after crap, but here it is. But I love him. I've always loved him. _Right then she knew her answer.

"Yes," she answered in almost a whisper, her eyes filling with joyful tears.

"What?" Logan replied; a bit stunned that all this was happening himself.

"Let do this," she smiled mischievously.

Logan rose from the floor, a huge smile planted on his face. He held Max's head in his hands and pulled her in for a gentle kiss. He grasped the ring and slipped it onto her finger. She admired its beauty and studied it; her cat burglary skills still not lost. Logan cleared his throat, interrupting her momentary fascination.

"Great, we'll leave tonight then." He eagerly grasped one of his suitcases and began walking to the door.

"Logan," she stopped him, putting her hand on his chest.

"Yea, Max?" Logan replied hastily, eager to start their new life.

"I kinda need to pack," she smiled.

"Right… pack. Of course. You-you should pack."

"I gotta say 'bye too. Meet you back here in an hour?"

"Great."

"… Great. Later."

Logan watched his fiancée close the door behind her and smiled again.

Max clutched her suitcase tightly as she gazed into Crash. She wasn't sure why she was feeling so apprehensive. Maybe she should call Logan and call it off. Something didn't feel right… She turned around and began walking away from Crash. She absently brushed her hand on the brick wall, noting a barely perceptible red splotch. She stopped dead in her tracks: she was in the alley. And not just any alley… _the_ alley. The splotch was dried blood. Her blood.

Suddenly, the events of the fight came crashing back down on her. She remembered how she was attacked so viciously and without hesitation. She recalled how three months were taken away from her, all because of her good deed. Max turned her attention back to the red splotch, fingering the spot delicately. As she traced it, a sparkle caught her eye. Her diamond ring shone in the darkness of the night. She clutched the ring, smiled slightly, and walked back to Crash.

She found Original Cindy and Alec playing a rousing game of foosball. She stared and watched the two from behind a nearby pool table before approaching. Judging from the look on their faces, they were not only into the game, they were also deep in conversation. Her advanced hearing caught snippets of the conversation through the general noise and laughter of the bar.

"Suga's just goin' through a rough time, Boo," Original Cindy explained.

"Yea, but I'm worried about her. I know she thinks I'm this obnoxious guy who just complicates her life-"

"Don't even go there, Boo."

"But anyway, I guess I ought to just back off. I mean, she's gotta be used to all this after all these years. She's wouldn't just cut and run… I mean if _I_ did that I'm sure she'd try to kick my ass as she so eloquently puts it," he chuckled.

Alec's words made Max shift uncomfortably from her vantage point. No one expected her to run away. She was the leader. Maybe she was making a huge mistake… Max fumbled with her briefcase. No, she was going to leave. She had already made this decision. Nothing and no one could change her opinion now. She eased over to her friends, feigning ignorance about their recent topic of conversation.

"Hey, guys. I get the next game," she smiled, slyly.

"Max, care to humiliate your old pal Alec?" he smirked. His face disintegrated into a frown when he glanced pointedly at her suitcase. Original Cindy followed his eyes and took note of the object clutching in Max's hand.

"Going somewhere, Boo?" she asked, attempting to nonchalantly cover up her disappointment.

Max sensed the tension between them and tried to shrug innocently. "Well, yea. For now. Feel like I need to lay low for a couple of days." Alec raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. O.C. rolled her eyes and tugged Max away from Alec by the sleeve.

"C'mere Boo," she insisted. Alec stared in their direction, but Cindy's expression told him that they needed their privacy. He shifted his gaze to the foosball, eyeing the table like a keen military strategist (which he was, of sorts). Original Cindy's expression grew darker. "You're going away again, aren't you?"

Max stared her in the eye and said nothing.

O.C. took a breath. "Hope you're not running away from your problems like you did before."

"It's not like that. It's different now. Everything's different."

"So you are running away," she said in a slightly accusatory tone.

Max became flustered. "Look, I'm not running away from anything. Look around Cindy, there's nothing here worth fighting for. I've given all I've got. Now I've got the chance for something better."

"You can say that again," Alec chimed in from behind. Original Cindy shot him a look, but he appeared preoccupied. He was staring, fixating on the ring on Max's finger. "Now I know what sunk the Titanic. How much did that run Logan? Damn."

Original Cindy's face brightened. "That's an engagement ring, Boo?" She nodded. "When did he…"

"Not too long ago. I wanted to tell you guys but-" she hesitated, looking anxiously into Alec's eyes. He stared into hers, trying to find his wordsAlec's head was a whirl;_ Alec this is always how it's been. This is how it always will be. If she's going to be with Logan, might as well let her go with a little dignity. _

Alec found his voice all he could say was, "Y'know, it's too bad we'll never get to see that cute little church wedding. Would've been interesting to see you wear white."

Max slugged him in the arm, as she smiled with relief.

"Congratulations Boo," O.C. declared, giving back a tight hug. "I hope you're happy, wherever you go."

She smiled back sincerely. "Thanks, me too."

It was Alec's turn to congratulate her now, but when he opened his mouth nothing came. All he could feel was the grasp of the green eyed monster of jealousy. He was the one who spend most of his life in Manticore and yet, he had stepped up and helped defend Terminal City. He had stood by Max's side during her long coma and here he was losing her to Logan. Why did Max deserve to be happy instead of him? He didn't have it in him to congratulate her… his dearest friend. The person he cared about most in the world. "You better go. He's probably waiting." Max looked at him quizzically, but nodded. She stared at Alec for a long moment, then turned and headed for the door. There was one more thing she had to do….

Max stared at the city lights of Seattle for the last time atop the Space Needle. Her mind was still an array of fears and doubts as she stared at the people below. She was actually going to miss this city despite everything. She smiled, giving the cold metal of the needle a quick pat, and turned around to leave. She was surprised to see Logan blocking her path.

"Logan? What are you doing here? You hate heights," she asked, feeling a little shocked.

Logan sighed and grabbed her hand. "Max, you don't have to sit up here alone and think about your problems anymore. Look, I know there were times when I pulled away…when you felt you couldn't tell me things, but things are different now Max. We're getting a fresh start."

Max smiled and moved in closer to him. "You don't see me running away now," she whispered. He smiled back and planted a soft kiss on her lips. She turned away and returned to her spot at the edge of the Needle. Logan hung back, his fear of heights returning to him.

"Do you think you're going to miss it?" Max called over the edge of her shoulder.

"Seattle? I spent most of my life here… once I split from the rest of the Cales. It was a new start for me; away from a life of privilege, back among the people you could say."

"Where you became a world-famous cyberjournalist?"

He smirked. "You might say that. I suppose it holds some kind of sentimental value for me… what about you?"

She laughed slightly and stuck her hands in her pockets. "You kept me here Logan. It was the first time I thought I might belong somewhere." Logan smiled gratefully in remembrance of how Max had come into his life. He walked over and pulled her into a tight hug. She returned the hug, her heart racing. After a moment, she pulled away gently and gazed into his eyes.

"Let's get out of here, Logan."

An hour later, Max stood in line at the terminal with Logan. Max fidgeted anxiously as she clutched her suitcase and glanced at her watch. Her actions did not go unnoticed by Logan.

"You alright?"

"Yeah. I'm fine."

"Max…" he coaxed her.

She sighed and relented. "It's about that haven the other transgenics ran off to… I have this feeling there's something off about it. I know what they did and maybe I shouldn't even care. But-"

"You wouldn't be you if you didn't care," he smiled slightly, digging for his cell phone. "I figured you would. I had Dix help me trace Sandeman's number. If he gets a hit, we'll be able to figure out where they went."

"Thanks Logan," she said gratefully, scooting up the line slightly. "I keep thinkin' the whole thing is some kind of trap."

Just then Logan's cell went off. He glanced at the number and flipped the phone open hastily. "Dix?"

"Hey Logan," the transhuman spoke from the Terminal City control room. "Hey I managed to trace the call back from Sandeman. It came from somewhere in Montana."

"Montana? Max did you hear…"

"Yeah I hear him. Doesn't exactly solve the puzzle though."

Dix spoke again. "Yeah, we're just as confused. Hey Logan, tell Max that the voicemail Sandeman left had some kind of message no one in Terminal City understood. He said 'The Committee is exploring other options. I hope you get this before it's too late.'"

"Other options? Oh my God," Max muttered in disbelief.

"You know what it means?" Logan asked her.

"Lydecker always said 'a good solider never goes in with only plan A, always have a B and a C ready.' This location the transgenics went to might have some connection to Manticore."

"Manticore?" Dix squeaked on the other end.

Logan scowled and spoke in a whisper so no passerby could here their conversation. "But we defeated Manticore, Max. We took it down."

"No… when I was there, Renfro said that exposing Manticore would jeopardize the Committee's other projects."

"What other projects?"

"I don't know, but I need to find out."

"Let me help."

"Logan, what about-"

"They need you now, Max. I understand," he bit his lip, trying to hide his disappointment. She nodded and grasped the phone from his hands.

"Hey, Dix? Rally everyone together. I'm comin' home," she snapped the phone shut and started tearing down the airport hallway. She stopped dead in her tracks and looked back at Logan longingly.

"Go," she could hear him mouth at the other end of the room. She nodded and continued forward. She just hoped she could get there in time…

Author's Note: Ha! I finally started the M/L ending for you M/L fans… and all it took was a quick viewing of _Meow_ this afternoon. My goal is to finish the last chapter by the end of today. If not, I'll finish it tomorrow night. I promise a mushy (but not too mushy!), happy M/L ending for all you patient Max/Logan Musketeers!


	9. Chapter 9: Together at Last

Chapter 7B: No More Dancing

Author's Note: It was tough to map this one out, but I hope you'll enjoy it…

Max dashed off to Terminal City on her Ninja. The ride seemed longer as she pressed on the gas, feeling overwhelmed with guilt. Why didn't she see this before? She had always known that people didn't do things out of the goodness of their hearts. She knew the transgenic 'sanctuary' was a sham. Why hadn't she put the pieces together earlier? She had left her feelings of hurt and her fears get the best of her. As she reached the city limits, she tried to put all her anxiety and guilt in the back of her mind and entered with an attempted air of confidence. She sprinted up to the control room where she found Dix hard at work. He pulled out his earpiece and smiled in her direction. "Max! I knew you'd come. There were rumors in Terminal City that you left us…"

"Guess you can't believe everything you hear," she lied awkwardly. "You got an address on this place?"

"Yeah, right here," he confirmed, pointing to the screen. Max memorized the location and nodded. "You got a plan?"

"Yea and I want every able bodied transgenic on this thing."

Dix scratched his crooked head in confusion. "But Max- what about the betrayal? You said yourself, they ran away from everything."

"Maybe. But they're family. I know an airfield not too far from here… long story. I'm going to need some pilots though."

"I'll help," a young transgenic piped up from the crowd. Max's heart jumped into her throat, the recent death of another eager transgenic playing before her eyes. She eyed him for a moment.

"You know the risks?"

"Yes ma'am," he shouted, a slight tremor in his voice.

"Me too."

"Me too."

Max looked around to see a large crowd of transgenics, from younger and older series; some seemingly perfect on the outside, others not quite imperfect. They all stood at attention, beaming with admiration for their leader. Max swelled with pride and she watched the brave soldiers conglomerate in front of her.

Another voice piped up from the crowd. "Max? You're sure about this?" Alec called from the back.

"Yeah, you backing out on me soldier?" she teased.

"Hell no," he affirmed, standing tall.

She smiled appreciatively at him and turned to her squad. "Fall out, guys," she ordered.

Hours later, the group reached their destination; guided by the directions of Logan and the eager transgenic at the control panel. The facility was buried deep in the mountains and it was difficult for Max's unit to keep the lines of communication open. When they reached the building Max and Alec backed up against the entrance. Max made hand motions to indicate the two guards in the front. They were soon taken out by two eager, young transgenics.

"Nice… let's get more of these missions outsourced," Alec nodded appreciatively.

"Alec?"

"Yeah?"

"Kill the cameras up there," she indicated the small cameras at the door. He shot the cameras near the entrance expertly. She nodded and they started slinking down the entrance.

The troop marched into the facility, guns in tow. "Let's split up. We'll cover more ground. We need to find the control panel and get the disks. Without them, they can never do this again. We also need to figure out where they're holding the other transgenics. First team to find them, radio in," she instructed, pointing to the intercom on her ear. This was all too familiar for her and she couldn't help feeling nervous, despite the fact she was now the leader.

Max and her group began slinking down the hallways. The new facility had the same sterile feel of Manticore, minus the painful memories. She guessed it might have been a former mental institution. Her group started opening the doors, searching for the presence of any soldiers. It was oddly deserted, save for the bundles of medical equipment lying conspicuously on the tables. Max heard a crackle and held the com to her ear.

"Max, unfriendliness 20 meters down the next corridor," Dix instructed.

She hit the guard in the face with a blow to the elbow, and then backed him up against the wall. "The transgenics, where are they?"

"D-downstairs. In the basement," he squeaked. She shoved him against the wall and he slumped down to the floor unconscious.

"Thank you, you've been very helpful," she told him appreciatively. She and Alec started making their way to the fire escape exit, hoping to come across the basement. Their footsteps echoed as they walked through the musty rooms. Suddenly they heard a familiar voice muffled a few doors down. Max dashed over and kicked down the door with her foot. Alec followed in close pursuit.

"Joshua!" she cried. As angry as she was with him, at that moment she was really glad to see him alive.

"Little Fella!" the dog-man rose from his cell and wriggled his gangly fingers through the bars. He looked a bit gaunt and battered. His sticky hair clung to his neck and his eyes appeared bloodshot. It could be inferred that he was not treated well. Even the cell was oddly reminiscent of the ones back at Manticore. Max raced over to him and stuck her fingers through the bars.

"Hey Joshie," Alec greeted him. "Nice place... could use some curtains, maybe a poster or two..."

"Let's get you outta here," Max advised as she began picking the lock on the cell door. "Alec, wanna work on the others?"

"Already on it."

In minutes they had released all the wayward trangenics from their cells. Max and Alec herded them out one by one. Suddenly, Alec noticed a flashing light in the corner of the room.

"Uhhh, Max? I think we might have triggered the silent alarm."

"Shit… let's _move_ people! File out! Hurry!" she instructed.

"It's too late, they're already onto us."

"Dix? What's your reading?" she radioed in.

"Uhhh, I'm trying to trace you!" he called back. The transgenic typed furiously on the keyboard in frustration. "I-I'm sorry Max… I'm not as good at this stuff as Logan is."

"Where is Logan?"

"I don't know. I lost track of him! He was supposed to help me figure this thing out," Dix explained, trying to keep the desperation out of his voice.

Max sighed. "Great. So Logan's missing, Dix can't track us, and a bunch of guards are gonna show up right…"

BANG!

"Through that door…"

The transgenics descended upon the guards in anger. After being holed up in another Manticore-like prison, they were eager to let loose their aggression. Max radioed in for the rest of the transgenic troops as they battled. In moments, they arrived on the scene ready to rumble. The group advanced on the guards and began disabling them with some well placed kicks and blows. The X6s and X5s were well trained and now vastly outnumbered the surprised guards. They were able to over take them in record time. Max kicked one of them into the wall and watched out for the others mounting the attack.

Suddenly, Max felt a taser sting her back. She grunted in pain as she fell to her knees. She twisted around to face her attacker, but received another blow to her chest. The guard smirked. "I heard you might give us trouble. I kept a special eye out for you 452."

He threw a punch at her head. She blocked his blow and kneed him in the crotch. He grunted awkwardly, shocked her a third time, and stuck a gun to her temple. She attempted to sit up, but the pain was too much. The rest of the transgenics were too busy fighting the rest of the guards to see Max's struggle. She squeezed her eyes shut and waited for the end.

BANG!

Max struggled as the bulky guard flopped over on her chest. She shoved him off and pushed herself up to observe her savior. Her face spread into a half grin. "Logan?"

"Max," he called, and reached his hand out to her. She took it gratefully and he pulled her up. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I thought you were back in Seattle."

"I couldn't leave you, Max. After what happened at Manticore, I promised I'd never lose you again," he explained.

"That was colossally stupid… but thank you," she smiled and gave him a warm hug. Over his shoulder, Max could see the young transgenics fought the experienced soldiers. She thought back to the raids back in Terminal City and became fearful for her 'sisters' and 'brothers.' She dashed away from Logan and jumped in to help.

One of the young X6s was particularly arrogant. He would take several guards at once; splaying out both legs to kick them on either side. He went on the offensive, attacking any guards within view. Alec scowled; the kid was way too cocky, way too confident. He reminded him of himself back at Manticore. He tried to make his way to the kid to help him, but he was soon pushed back by another guard. While he was trying to fend him off, Alec saw he was already too late. The X6 was surrounded by angry guards, holding their weapons ready.

Luckily, Joshua was too fast for them. He started flinging back the guards in a rage. He picked one up by the collar, growled menacingly in his face, and threw him across the room. The guard smashed into the shelves behind him, the force of his fall splintering the wood, and then he lay still. Another, scared by Joshua's actions, pointed his gun at him nervously. Joshua advanced on him menacingly and in his fright, the guard's shaky hand made the gun go off. The dogman stared in surprise and flopped on the floor.

Max ran to him side and kicked away the offending guard. The guard stumbled away in fear. As the fighting died down, Logan and Alec joined Max.

"Oh my God, we've got to get him to a hospital," Alec insisted.

"Logan, still got those computer skill of yours?"

"I'm on it…" Logan declared. He scrambled to find him laptop and started loading it up. At that moment, the rest of the unit along with Sandeman approached her with disks in their hands. The eager X6 volunteer for the mission spoke up first.

"Max, it's all done. We forced surrender from the guards, all the disks were taken, and all the prisoners were freed. Everyone is present and accounted for."

"Good job, guys. Now I need you and the others to return to Terminal City, post haste."

He nodded, and then did a double take as he noticed Joshua on the floor. Suddenly feeling full of guilt, he leaned over to observe his fallen comrade, "Max is he going to be okay? Is there anything we can do?"

"No, that's okay. Look, I need everyone to get home. We'll be in trouble if they managed to call for back-up," she instructed

"We can handle them," another long haired soldier replied, clinging to his bulky gun.

"No un-necessary risks," Max insisted, her voice dropping in anger. "Now get home. I'll make sure nothing happens to Joshua."

He nodded and reluctantly took off with the other X5s. Sandeman walked over to Joshua's side.

"Joshua, my boy… are you alright?"

Joshua grunted and twisted on the floor. "Hurts."

"We'll make sure nothing happens to you, son," he comforted, putting a hand on his chest.

"Okay, the closest hospital is Kalispell Regional Medical Center. That's a couple miles from where we are. I figure out directions."

"Thanks, Logan."

"No problem," he sighed, closing his laptop.

"I just hope we're not too late," Sandeman sighed, caressing Joshua's cheek.

_3 hours later… _

Max, Logan, and Alec waited outside Joshua's hospital door anxiously. He had just gotten out of surgery an hour ago. Sandeman was already in Joshua's room, trying to comfort him. Outside, Logan noted how Max would look back and forth at Alec, as if desperate to communicate somehow. He wasn't sure what had gone on between them as of late, but he knew something was brewing beneath the surface. He glanced at Max… he trusted her. She was his fiancée now. He scowled and stood up awkwardly. "I'm… going to see how he's doing," Logan stated, glancing meaningfully at Max.

"Thank you," she mouthed, watching him go. Alec could sense what was going on and got up hastily from his seat. He stared into Joshua's room, trying to focus on him instead of Max.

"Think he's going to be alright?" he asked.

"Yeah, I think he'll pull through," she sighed and walked over to him. "Look Alec, we need to talk."

"We don't really need to, do we? Doesn't the rock say it all?" he said with a touch of bitterness in his voice as he stared at her ring.

"Look, I'm sorry about how things went down between us. I guess I did things I'm not really proud of," she looked at her feet, nervously. "But thanks for sticking by me. You were really there for me. I know I'm not always the easiest person to deal with."

Alec smirked. "Yeah, you could say that again."

"You turned out to be a pretty good guy after all," she admitted, nudging him gently with her elbow. "I'm lucky to have you by my side."

He turned to her and eased a little, "Me too. You know… I'd better check on the troops to make sure they made it back to Terminal City again."

Max grabbed his arm before he could take off. "Alec, look: don't do what I did. Don't run away from what you could have. Don't worry about the 'what ifs'. Life's too short for that."

"Funny… I remember giving the same advice to a friend of mine," Alec commented, reminiscing on that 'almost' night with Asha. His mind turned to thoughts of the spunky blonde rebel. "Thanks Max. I'll see you around."

Max watched him go, contemplating their tumultuous relationship for a moment. Just then, Logan and Sandeman appeared from the doorway. They walked toward her briskly, with an optimistic looks on his faces. "Max, we just ran into one of the doctors. He said Joshua could use some visitors."

Max nodded and made her way to Joshua's room.

"Hey Big Fella," she greeted him warmly as she closed the door.

"Hey Little Fella," he called back.

"How you feelin'?"

"Hurts… but okay. Everything, everything worked out Max. We… we cool?" he asked, nervously.

Max leaned against the chair in the hospital room and sighed. "You know you really hurt me, Joshua."

He dropped his head, ashamed. "I know."

"No, you _don't_ know. You don't know how many people I lost trying to be free. But I kept trying… because I thought it was important. And just like that you and the others turn your back on everything we've fought for. You got us into this mess… we risked a lot to help you. You're lucky no one was seriously hurt" she spat out angrily.

"I know. You, Alec, Logan, and the others came to help me. Look, I'm sorry okay? But you-you look like that… and I look like this. People always see outside."

Her voice softened. "Joshua, that's not true. I've always seen inside. Me and Logan and Original Cindy… Alec… Sketchy…"

Joshua turned away and shifted to his side, avoiding Max's eyes. "Max… what if- what if inside is ugly too?"

"Joshua, what are you talking about?"

"Max… since Annie died, I-I'm angry. At everyone, everything."

"Look, I'm sorry about what happened to Annie… you know I am. But White killed Annie and he paid for what he did."

"Annie wouldn't have died if it weren't for me. If I weren't a _freak_," he choked out, his eyes brimming with tears.

"Joshua you can't blame yourself for everything that happens. I've blamed myself too… for what happened to the others who didn't make it out in the word, for my family…"

"How do you stop it from hurting?"

"You can't. That's life… for better or for worse."

"Life is pain? Safer… safer in basement. That's why I left."

"There is no more basement, Joshua. You're going to have to face life head on."

"How do you do that?" Joshua asked, lifting up his now tear soaked face.

She sighed and put her hand on his shoulder, "With the help of your family."

Joshua cracked a smile. "Joshua and Max, okay?"

Max nodded. "In time…"

Max leaned over and pulled Joshua into a bear hug. He sighed with relief. She pulled gently away and regarded Logan, watching them from the other side of the window. He nodded in his direction.

"Go, Max. Go to Logan. He needs you," Joshua insisted.

She looked over at her fiancé and nodded. "Rest up, okay? I gotta get Terminal City back together. I'll keep checking up on you though."

"Okay. Thanks Max," he grinned.

Two months later, the future of Terminal City seemed brighter. The transgenics had risen to the challenge of integrating themselves with the rest of the city. They held festivals where people could learn about their transgenic 'culture', they helped the city with their viable skills, and soon they started to blend in as they had before. They still had a way to go, but had begun to change… for some people more than others…

Max smiled and rubbed Logan's hand affectionately as she stared into his eyes. She could hardly breathe, she was so nervous. She could tackle men three times his size, but this was like nothing she had ever prepared for. The wind blew against her face, tickling her barcode. She gazed into the night sky; the inky blue stretching seemingly forever, the stars twinkling down on her. She had spent so many nights contemplating her life on the Space Needle… thinking about all her worries and all her problems. This night was different. Instead of thinking about the problems in her life, all she could think about was how happy it was and how grateful she was to be living it. A voice suddenly broke her out of her reverie.

"Max," Logan called softly. She stared back at him, confused. Logan chuckled slightly. "You kinda have to answer his question."

Father Destry cleared his throat and asked again, "Do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, in sickness and in health so long as you both shall live?"

She smirked again and turned to the priest. "Hell yeah, I do."

A bit spun by her choice of words, Destry faltered slightly. "Well, I… uh, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Max pulled Logan into a passionate kiss. Logan returned her affection, pulling her closer to him. They remained lost in each others eyes for a moment, before they were broken away by a loud applause. They smiled and stared at the crowd, hanging precariously on the edge of the Needle.

Original Cindy was the first to pull her into a hug. "It's about damn time! Congratulations suga."

Sandeman extended his hand out to her awkwardly. "Congratulations Max. I wish you... years of happiness," he said, sincerely. His children deserved that, after all the hell they had gone through. Hearing the emotion in his voice, Max ignored his hand and pulled him into a hug.

"Thank you… Father," she said. Sandeman beamed at his title. Sketchy regarded the exchange between them and, after a beat, threw Max into a hug.

"Congrats, Max."

"Thanks for comin', Sketch."

"I wouldn't miss it. Just wish you superhuman types chose better venues for these kinds of things," Sketchy noted, nervously staring from the precipice of the Needle. He stepped aside to let the hulking dogman through the crowd.

Joshua beamed at Max and threw her into a big hug. "Congratulations Lil' Fella."

She smiled back at him. The rift between them had begun to heal and their friendship was looking much brighter these days. "Thanks Big Fella. Feeling better?"

"Joshua all fixed. All better. Thanks to doctors and friends. But, today is about Max… how does it feel?"

She beamed appreciatively. In truth, it felt awkward to be in the limelight after hiding all her life. "A little scary, but really great too."

Joshua nodded. "So… Max and Logan getting busy?" he said, loud enough for most of the crowd to hear.

She laughed and slapped his back. "Bet on it," she whispered. Joshua grinned goofily at her and touched his nose knowingly. Max spied Alec in the back of the small crowd. His arm was around Asha's waist and a smug smile was on his face. She walked over, grinned, and pulled him into a hug. Alec returned the hug warmly. They lingered for a moment and then pulled back. "So where's the grub? Don't tell me Logan cheaped out on the reception."

She chuckled slightly. "Check inside the Needle. It's set up inside."

"Great. Ready Asha?"

"Yeah, let's go. Congratulations Max."

"Thanks."

The rest of the gang made their way to the inside of the Needle, Max and Logan moved to the top alone. They glanced at each other lovingly as Logan slid his hands into hers.

"We're finally here, Max."

"So, what next? We beat the bad guys, fight the power, and live happily ever after?"

"Blah blah woof woof," Logan smiled as he pulled her into another kiss.

**THE END**

Author's Note:

Huzzah! Done, done, and done!

YeahI stuck Alec with Asha. So sue me. ;) Actually, if you've been following my series, I put Alec through a lot and gave him a lot of lovesick puppy moments. I thought it would be sort of mean to leave him lonely in the end so I didn't.

I also decreased Sandeman's role in this one. I thought it was important that Joshua and Max get their moment without interference. He's still a part of their lives though. I didn't want Max to forgive him right away either. It was a betrayal no matter what… but of course they're gonna make up in the end.

By the way, don't kill me about the geography! I tried to pick the most western major Montana city (thank you Wikipedia!) and found a hospital there. But hey, if you can buy a trek from Gillette, Wyoming to Seattle, Washington you can buy my location, right? (I'm an East Coaster.)

So that's the end of my novel/series and probably my last Dark Angel story. I thought it was an important story to tell: about not giving up when the fight is really tough. I'm sure many social activists have thought about quitting when no one seems to care. By the way, no matter which version you're following I always intended for Max to pick the harder route. I hope you enjoyed the story. Thanks for reading! 


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